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HEART SENSE FOR WOMEN
the beat goes on
Women finally achieve equality!
Although not the way we hoped. The rate of heart disease today equals the same rate for women as it does for men, however, more women die of their heart attacks then men. No longer just a “man’s disease”, two out of three women over 50 are not only at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, four out of every 10 female deaths in Canada are caused by heart disease and stroke according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Last year, ten times as many women died of heart disease and stroke, compared to breast cancer, yet when asked women’s biggest health fear is usually cancer. Women are also more likely to suffer a stroke after a heart attack. Unaware of this great risk women are doing very little to protect themselves. | |
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The silent killer
Heart disease is referred to as the silent killer, because often the first sign is death. A 2004 study reveals that 50% of men and 64% of women who suddenly die of heart disease had no previous symptoms.
Taught that arm-clutching chest pain signals a heart attack, the most common sign for women is pain radiating up their neck, into the jaw or back.
Other heart disease symptoms include shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; chest pain during exercise that subsides with rest; bouts of indigestion; a constricting feeling in your throat; profuse sweating for no apparent reason (not menopausal hot flashes). Seek medical help for these symptoms as well as abnormal stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, irregular pulse, light-headedness, unusual fatigue, and pain or numbness in the arms, back, neck or chest.
Shocking causes
Until recently, heart disease was thought to be a problem with clogged arteries and high cholesterol. Yet half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Ninety percent of all heart disease is caused by inadequate diet, weight gain, stress and lack of exercise.
• Bacterial infections may cause heart disease. The high levels of the bacteria chlamydia pneumoniae have been found in the blood of people who’ve had heart attacks. Significant because it shows the relationship to a low immune system’s possible failure in defending us from simple bacteria.
CRP Blood Levels
The Physician’s Health Study examined
C-reactive protein (CRP produced by the liver during an inflammatory response) levels in 22,000 healthy men and found a direct correlation between inflammation and heart disease. Studies have shown that those with CRP levels above 3.0 mg / L had a three times higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those with a reading of less than 0.5 mg / L. Scientists learned that cholesterol occasionally finds its way into the artery lining and embeds there as plaque. When this happens, specialized cells, macrophages, and other immune cells rush in to eliminate the plaque. The cytokines secreted from these immune cells bombard the site and the cholesterol plaque is broken away from the artery wall. If the plaque is big enough, it creates a blockage and a heart attack or stroke can result. An important precautionary measure is to ask your physician for a high-sensitivity CRP blood test. The optimal is less than 0.5 mg/L to 1.0 mg / L. Levels between 1.0 mg / L and 3.0 mg / L should be monitored and over 3.0 mg / L indicates high levels of inflammation.
HRT and CRP
Women on hormone replacement therapy must be particularly careful because estrogen increases inflammation in the body and elevates CRP to potentially dangerous levels, indicating a much higher risk of heart attack and particularly strokes.
Does it run in the family?
Knowing if there is family history of heart disease can help you prevent this deadly condition by being vigilant with healthy lifestyle choices. Heart disease actually begins in the stomach with a poor diet of packaged or processed foods high in trans-fatty acids and devoid of fibre and nutrients, especially B vitamins and folic acid. Couple a poor diet with high stress, dehydration, aging, smoking, extra weight, a lack of exercise and sleep increases your risk. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high levels of harmful LDL cholesterol or high blood homocysteine levels compound the problem.
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Nutrient depletion
According to the Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook for Pharmacists, some medications for high cholesterol or blood pressure may deplete calcium; coenzyme Q10; magnesium; potassium; Vitamins B1, B6 and C and zinc. Supplements can assist to ensure adequate levels but be sure to talk to your physician or pharmacist about drug-nutrient interactions before starting any kind of nutrient program.
Tips to a healthy heart
Studies show that diets full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean meats and fish not only lower the risk of heart disease but provide valuable antioxidants, useful in combating chronic inflammation. Eating two eight-inch raw carrots daily has been shown to reduce cholesterol by 50 points in a matter of weeks.
• Eat plenty of fresh pressed garlic to lower blood pressure.
• Eat two servings of fish a week. Fatty fish contains EPA, DHA, and Omega-3 essential fatty acids.
• Supplement with essential fatty acids to lower triglyceride levels.
• Have your thyroid checked. Low thyroid levels can cause heart palpitations adding to heart stress.
• Reduce salt, caffeine and alcohol.
• Exercise. Walking 30 minutes three times a week cuts your risk of heart attack by 30%. The more energetic, the greater the benefit. Walking at a pace of two miles per hour or faster reduces risk up to 63 percent.
• Excessive alcohol consumption contains too much sugar which in turn increases the risk of heart disease. Alcohol increases blood estradiol levels by 300% in postmenopausal women.
• Drink more water. Dehydration causes platelets to stick together like sludge. Women can reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke by half, simply by drinking four to six glasses of water a day.
• Hormone replacement therapy using the combination of estrogen and progestins or estrogen alone failed to protect women’s hearts, two recent major studies found. The National Institute of Health announced that the long-term use of estrogen and progestin increased an otherwise healthy women’s risk of a stroke by 41% and heart attack by 29%. Safer alternative methods of hormone replacement therapy include black cohosh, vitex, fish oils and a good multivitamin with minerals.
• Quit smoking and avoid second hand smoke.
• Lower levels of homocysteine quickly by supplementing with magnesium, B6, B12, folic acid and fish oils. High CPR levels can be lowered with fish oils, a healthy diet, weight loss and exercise.
• Let go of anger. It’s bad for your mood, and studies have shown that it is also linked to increased risk of heart disease.
• Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload, causing the heart to enlarge and weaken over time.
• Reduce sodium. Avoid table salt and processed foods. Many people with high blood pressure have the wrong ratio of potassium to salt.
• Increase potassium-rich foods such as bananas, apricots, tomatoes, avocados, potatoes, lean chicken, meat and fresh fish.
• Eat breakfast. Studies show that women who eat breakfast have fewer heart attacks than women who avoid breakfast.
• Lose weight. People with excess body fat are more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes.
• Monitor your blood sugar closely. Diabetics are at extreme risk of cardiovascular disease. Controlling diabetes through diet and exercise is especially important to your heart health.
Follow these simple steps to lower your risk of becoming yet another fatal statistic. How important is health equality to you? H&L |
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