Heart Disease - Women need to be careful too!

Special to OaklandCountyMoms.com, to honor Heart Disease Awareness Month: 

Contributor: Dr. Greene, Contemporary OB/GYN 248-656-2022, 1202 Walton Blvd. Suite 216, Rochester 
Dr. Greene is part of the Contemporary Ob/Gyn practice in Rochester. His special interests include: Thorough Wellness Annual Examinations emphasizing pap smear/HPV screening, breast exams, mammography referrals, cholesterol/lipid evaluation, Endometrial Ablasion Techniques, Advanced Laparoscopic Techniques, and Office Hysteroscopy . He also has Special interest/experience with Natural Family Planning.

A great deal of time, effort and research has gone into the study of heart disease. Much of the early research was focused on research in men as they suffered the effects of heart disease with greater frequency than women. In recent years however, more interest has developed in the prevention of heart disease in women as heart disease is actually the number one cause of death in women. We spend so much time placing concern on preventing other important gynecologic problems such as breast, cervical and ovarian cancers that heart disease prevention is often relegated to a "second tier" concern when it should actually be right at the top of our list when it comes to helping women to live longer, healthier lives. About six times as many women die from heart disease for every one woman that dies from breast cancer. So let's take a look at the "heart" of the issue.

First, you have to determine what your risks are. When figuring out which women are most likely to develop certain diseases, researchers talk about who is most “at risk.” Being at higher risk means that you are more likely to develop a certain disease or problem. You can check your risk of heart disease with the risk calculator at

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3003500

Several different factors will put you at higher risk of heart disease can’t be changed. Your age is one example. Younger women are obviously less likely to have heart attacks; in fact, heart disease is uncommon before the age of menopause, which is about age 51. However, the problems that lead to heart disease often start at a younger age. Another example is your race. Did you know that between the ages of 44 to 64, African American women are twice as likely to experience a heart attack as Caucasian women? It is not clear whether race itself increases risk or whether in general African American women have less access to adequate health care. Your family history is an important part of determining your heart disease risk. Having close re latives (mother, father, brothers, sisters) who had heart disease at an early age may increase your risk. Happily, many risk factors for heart disease are in your own hands and can be prevented or controlled. High blood pressure is one example of a known risk factor for heart disease that can be controlled to reduce one's risk. Most health care experts recommended that blood pressure be kept below 120/80 mmHg. Get your blood pressure checked regularly. If it’s normal, do what you can to help keep it that way. Be sure to keep your weight in a normal range, and lower the amount of salt in your diet by avoiding added salt, salty foods, and those listing high sodium on their labels. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and exercise daily. If you have high blood pressure, work with your health care provider to lower your blood pressure to the normal range with lifestyle modifications or medication if necessary.&nb sp; Many effective medications are available, safe and commonly used.

Prevention of diabetes plays an important role in reducing heart disease risk. Women who have diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have heart attacks than those who do not have diabetes. If you have diabetes, keep it in good control by taking your medication, monitoring your blood sugar, and by exercising and maintaining a normal weight. Studies have shown that people whose diabetes is in good control have less risk of heart attacks and other complications. Your health care provider may also suggest that you take a type of medication called a statin. Statin drugs are used to treat high cholesterol but seem to help lower heart attack risk even if you have normal cholesterol. To prevent diabetes, try to keep your weight in a normal range. Women who had diabetes or high blood su gar during pregnancy are at risk of developing the disease in the future and should be tested regularly.

It comes as no great surprise or "late breaking news" to state that smoking cessation is a critical part of preventing heart disease. Smoking increases risk for many serious, life-threatening diseases. If you are a smoker, it’s time to quit. Even if you’re not ready to quit now, write down a list of as many ways that quitting smoking will benefit you. Read your list of reasons every day. When you’re ready, set a “quit date.” When the date arrives, get rid of all cigarettes, lighters, matches, ashtrays, and anything else that goes along with smoking. Get a friend or family member to encourage and support you (or even quit smoking along with you). You can get help from your health care provider, local hospitals and clinics, or local chapters of the American Cancer Society, A merican Heart Association, or American Lung Association. Nicotine patches, gum, nasal sprays, and inhalers are readily available in drugstores, or your health care provider can prescribe medications such as Zyban or Chantix to assist you. For an online resource, try http://www.4women.gov/QuitSmoking/ or http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm

Cholesterol is another important component of heart disease risk. You should have your cholesterol cheked regularly. If you haven’t been checked, request a test from your health care provider. The test should be done while fasting for 12 hours before the blood test. You should receive information about your total cholesterol level, LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), triglycerides, and HDL (the “good” cholesterol). Your risk of heart disease is lowest if your total, LDL, and triglycerides are all in the low range and your HDL is high. Although some women inherit a tendency to have high cholesterol, most women can decrease their total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise their HDL with a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Become a label reader. Examine food labels and stay away from such high fat items as fried foods, whole milk, cheese, butter, and processed foods with high saturated fat content. Instead of fr ied foods, substitute baked, broiled, or grilled meats and fish, and use non fat milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese in place of whole milk products. Eating nuts daily seems to help protect your heart, but be careful: Nuts are high in calories. Eat only a small handful, and use them instead of, not in addition to, high fat snacks. Eating fish twice a week and exercising helps increase your HDL level. If diet and exercise don’t work, medications can be used to control cholesterol.

Controlling your weight is an important aspect of heart disease risk reduction. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way of using your height and weight to find out if your weight is in the healthy range. You can find a BMI calculator at http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ If your BMI is more than 25, you need to lose weight. You can get weight loss suggestions from your health care provider, or at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/resources.htm

Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise daily or almost daily is good for weight loss, increasing your HDL cholesterol, and making you feel good, as well as decreasing your risk of heart disease. Decide what will fit into your daily routine; find something you like and/or can do easily for exercise. Walk, run, ride a bike, or go to the gym (again, try to get a partner to commit to exercising with you -- an "accountability" partner). Do it one day at a time until you’re in the habit. It is always a good idea to talk to your health care provider before you start a strenuous exercise regimen.

Preventing heart disease is important, and in reality does not have to take a great deal of work. Naturally the best idea is to start when you are young and maintain those healthy habits over the course of your lifetime to maintain your heart health. If you are in a situation where you need to play a little "catch up" -- such as being overweight, sedentary or neglecting health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure-- there is no better time to start than right now. The number one killer of women in this country does not need to remain number one. With a little effort and commitment you can scratch yourself off the list of people who are at high risk. This holiday season, stay motivated to eat healthy, exercise and stay "heart-healthy"!