A Woman’s Guide to Beating Heart Disease
Few women think heart disease is their greatest health threat. That thought could not be further from the truth. Unfortunately, it’s the nation’s number one killer, and women are its prime target. Over one-third of the women who die in the U.S. each year die of heart disease. In fact, more women die of heart disease each year than breast cancer.
The risk of heart attack and stroke increases with age. Women can start protecting themselves early to avoid heart disease.
Knowing your risk
Things that put women at risk include:
• Being postmenopausal
• Having had a hysterectomy
• History of or currently using birth control pills
• Being pregnant and having complications including diabetes or pre-eclampsia
Credit to: My Happy Doctor
The following things put both women and men at risk for developing heart disease:
• Personal history of heart disease or stroke
• Age over 55
• Family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Past or current smoker
• Getting little or no exercise
• Obesity
• High-stress life
Knowing risk factors is half the battle towards beating heart disease. You can lower your risk of heart disease through preventative measures. Keep an eye open for our blog on prevention next week where we will do a deep dive on how to prevent heart disease.
