Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. In order to raise more awareness for this public health concern, the first Friday of February is designated as “National Wear Red Day” every year. On this day, it is encouraged that you wear red in any form or fashion and spread the word to people you know so that they too can be aware of this statistic. This is an important step to promote wellness in our population, particularly in women, and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
More Facts About Cardiovascular Health in Women:
- Women have different risk factors for cardiovascular disease compared to men. For example, women who are pregnant may develop conditions such as preeclampsia, which can increase your risk for cardiovascular events even after pregnancy.
- Women may have “atypical” symptoms when they are experiencing a heart attack. While chest pain is commonly reported during heart attacks, other symptoms such as jaw pain and fatigue can be found in women.
- There are less research trials studying cardiovascular disease in women compared to the number of trials involving the male population. There are many different reasons for this underrepresentation, but the hope is that the increased number of women authors in scientific research will continue to improve our understanding of health differences in women.
- African American women are more likely to have high blood pressure and other conditions associated with cardiovascular disease compared to Caucasian women. There is research that has been done that confirms these differences between ethnic groups and their rates of serious cardiovascular events, however, the most important thing is knowing your own family history and risk factors to personalize your healthcare.
- Women tend to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease more in their post-menopausal years. It is important to go to your doctor for regular check-ups at all ages, and to follow healthy habits, including regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet.
What are Some Ways you can Prevent Cardiovascular Complications?
- Exercise regularly: It is recommended to complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week to lower your overall risk for many different diseases.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet: Avoid eating processed foods whenever possible, and eat a varied diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and protein. Many pre-made foods are high in salt, sugar, and other unhealthy fats that can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and other conditions such as diabetes.
- Quit using tobacco products: Smoking cigarettes, vaping, and even chewing tobaccomarkedly increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. It can be hard to quit these substances, but many resources can be found at yesquit.org, including nicotine patches to help you wean off of these products. You may also visit your primary care physician for more resources and medications to help you quit.
- Avoid drinking excess amounts of alcohol: It is not recommended to drink more than 1 alcoholic drink a day for women, and 2 alcoholic drinks a day for men. If possible, reducing your alcohol consumption even further than this will improve your overall health as long-term alcohol use can affect many different organs in your body. If you are concerned about your alcohol use, your primary care physician is a great resource to help you limit your alcohol consumption.
- It is important to get quality sleep every day: If you are experiencing increased stress and subsequently sleeping less, this can increase your risk for many different diseases. Additionally, if you have noticed problems with interrupted sleep, excess snoring, or excessive sleepiness during the day, you may be at risk for sleep apnea. It is recommended to be formally evaluated for sleep apnea in that case, because sleep apnea can increase your risk for things like high blood pressure.
- It is important to visit your primary care physician regularly for preventive check-ups:Being examined and evaluated for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are important to your overall health as these conditions can significantly impact your life expectancy. It is also important to be up-to-date on immunizations and screening tests (such as mammograms, pap smears, colon cancer screening, and more)because these are meant to prevent severe health problems from occurring in the future. Also, if certain disorders are common in your family, then further tests can be done to assess your risk for developing similar illnesses.
Visit goredforwomen.org for more information about National Wear Red Day, including promotional materials. As always, if you have any specific questions about this topic or other health-related topics, please contact your primary care physician.
Dr. Herd is a resident physician who sees patients of all ages and provides obstetrical services at Lone Star Family Health Center, a non-profit 501©3 Federally Qualified Health Center operating facilities in Conroe, Spring, Willis, Grangerland, and Huntsville, and serving as home to a fully integrated Family Medicine Residency Program to increase the number of Family Medicine physicians for Texas and our community.
