Courtesy of Women’s Medical Center
Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. Our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are at risk.Fortunately, we can change that because 80% of cardiac events can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.
Know Your Numbers!Knowing your numbers is important. The American Heart Association recommends that you be aware of five key numbers: Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI).These numbers are important because they will allow you and your heathcare provider to determine your risk for developing Cardiovascular Disease by Atherosclerosis. This includes conditions such as Angina (chest pain), Heart Attack, Stroke (caused by Blood Clots) and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).Ideal numbers for most adults are:
A heart attack does not always have obvious symptoms, such as pain in your chest, shortness of breath and cold sweats. In fact, a heart attack can actually happen without a person knowing it. It is called a silent heart attack, or medically referred to as silent ischemia (lack of oxygen) to the heart muscle.
People who have these so-called silent heart attacks are more likely to have non-specific and subtle symptoms such as:
▪ indigestion
▪ feeling like you have the flu
▪ feeling of strained a muscle in chest or upper back.
▪ discomfort in the jaw or the upper back or arm
▪ prolonged and excessive fatigue that is unexplained.
Those are some of the less specific symptoms for a heart attack, but ones that people may ignore or attribute to something else.
Some of the factors that affect heart health include high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, diet, and physical inactivity. Click here for more about the risks and symptoms of heart disease.
TAKE A QUIZ
Click here to take a quiz on women’s heart disease risk.
For more information about your risks,
talk to your provider here at Women’s Medical Center.
