Heart Disease–Some Risk Factors for Women

Thursday, February 15th, 2018     by Debra DuPree Williams     Start the Conversation

by Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Since February is Heart Health Month, I’ve centered my blogs around that subject. Today I talk about some of the risk factors for heart disease.

None of us wants to think that we might have heart disease. Believe me, I know. I’ve walked in those shoes. It is a scary proposition. But ignoring symptoms can lead to an early death. Today’s medical interventions and lifestyle changes can reverse heart disease in many people. But why not stop it before it starts?

Risk Factors
Do you know the risk factors? Do you know your family’s history? We all know the common risk factors for both men and women─high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity. But did you know that women have their own set of risk factors? For some reason, in women these play a bigger role in the development of heart disease.
  • Diabetes.
  • Mental stress and depression.
  • Smoking.
  • Menopause.
  • Inactivity.
  • Pregnancy complications.
  • Some inflammatory diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

    Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only older women need to think about or worry about heart disease. Anyone of any age who has a family history needs to know the risk factors. I knew that heart disease was common in my family, especially so on my Daddy’s side. But I had no clue so many of my mother’s relatives had heart disease, too.

    Ignorance Isn’t Bliss 

    I was fifty-four when I had a stent placed in my LAD. That’s fairly young, especially these days. Sadly, I had had warning signs that I either ignored or just got to busy to deal with. When I had a surgical procedure, my cholesterol was pretty high. The surgeon told me I should speak to my doctor about getting on medication to help get it under control. For whatever reason, I never got around to doing that. My general practitioner recommended an echo stress test. I didn’t know what that was, so instead of asking or even educating myself, I just brushed it off.
    Reduce Your Risk 
    So, how do you reduce your risk? Research has shown several lifestyle changes can reduce your risk:

      • If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you are a smoker, quit.
      • Get some kind of regular exercise. 
      • Maintain a healthy weight.
      • Eat a healthy diet.
      • Take your prescribed medications regularly.

      How I wish that I had listened to that surgeon and my GP. It is quite possible that I could have avoided the extent of my heart disease. Perhaps I could have even reversed it. I will never know. Let me urge you to see your physician to discuss this important subject. Knowing is far better than being in the dark and perhaps, having to deal with it on an emergency basis. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that I wish I had listened.

      Have you had to make lifestyle changes due to heart disease? Share those changes here and tell us how you coped with them.

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