Health & Fitness
Women in Control of Their Heart Health
The number one cause of death for U.S. women is heart disease. It's important for women, even at an early age, to understand their individual risk factors and be proactive to prevent heart disease.
A lot of women think they are most vulnerable to breast, uterine and other cancers, but the number one cause of death for women in the United States is heart disease.
As a result of education and awareness campaigns, many recognize now that heart disease doesn’t only happen to men. Knowing you can get the disease is the first step toward taking control over your health.
It is also important for women, even at an early age, to understand their individual risk factors and be proactive to prevent heart disease.
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Age and family history are risk factors. There is nothing we can do about those, but there are risk factors women can take control of - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, to name a few. See a physician and get your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, find out what your goals should be and discuss ways to achieve those goals.
Exercise also is a vital part of the fight against heart disease. If you have heart disease, you will have it for the rest of your life. It does not go away. It will affect all of the vessels in your body. So maintain good cardiovascular health. Exercise is pivotal to that.
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How do women know if they are experiencing a heart attack? Their symptoms may not be the same symptoms men feel. When men experience a heart attack, they typically describe it classically – pressure in the middle of the chest or the sensation of a tight band across their chest. But less than 50 percent of women present with chest pain as their initial symptom.
Women more commonly describe shortness of breath, shoulder or back pain or indigestion. Sometimes fatigue can be their only symptom.
It can be confusing, so women may not complain or tell a physician they are experiencing these symptoms. But if there is something out of the ordinary, it’s best to speak up!
Learn about prevention, the warning signs and treatment for heart disease and stroke on Feb. 29 during RWJ's Annual Heart Month event, "Matters of the Heart." Call 1-888-MD-RWJUH by Feb. 24 to register.
Courtesy of Liliana Cohen, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology, at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
