February is a month to talk seriously about your heart health and was designated several years ago to be American Heart Month. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 1.1 million Americans experience a heart attack each year, with an estimated 460,000 of those being fatal. One-half of the deaths that occur each year happen within the first hour of the heart attack. Heart disease is the leading killer among both men and women.
If you’re a woman, you might believe that you are less likely to experience a heart attack, but think again. Women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths. Women are also more likely to have risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, a fact that makes seeking help fast more important. Other risk factors include:
- An increase in abdominal fat
- High triglycerides
- Mental stress
- Depression
- Smoking
- Low levels of estrogen, especially after menopause
What’s a girl to do?
As women, there are several lifestyle modifications we can all make to aid in decreasing our risk for heart disease.
- Exercise 30-60 minutes per day, most days of the week.
- Maintain a healthy weight—sometimes just losing 10-15 pounds lowers your blood pressure and reduces risks for diabetes.
- Quit or don’t start smoking.
- Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Know the warning signs.
Warning signs of a heart attack
Having a heart attack doesn’t look like it does in the movies. Oftentimes the feelings are subtle and one may be unsure of what is happening. Men are more likely to experience the classic chest pain. Women are more likely to experience other common warning signs:
- Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body: arms, jaw, back, stomach, neck
- Other symptoms might be shortness of breath, cold sweat, dizziness, nausea.
If you battle some of these symptoms, do not delay. Hesitating a few minutes before calling for help may endanger your life. Call 9-1-1. Your family will benefit the most from your call. Besides, we all want to be around for another February to tell each other how much we love each other and to share a chocolate heart—or maybe a celery stick!
Melanie Yunger is a wife, mother, nurse practitioner and free-lance writer in Shawnee.