Preventing Heart Disease in Women

Heart disease is the number-one cause of mortality in women. Symptoms and risk factors are different for women than men. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and depression are more common in women, while other risk factors, such as menopause, are unique to women.

Studies show many risk factors for heart disease that can be controlled. For example, smoking cigarettes can raise the risk for heart disease in a variety of ways. Smoking increases the likelihood of clotting as it thickens the blood and causes atherosclerosis, damaging blood vessel walls. Nicotine has also been found to raise blood pressure. Smoking can be more dangerous for women than men and contributes to heart disease even in people who smoke in their 20s.

Quitting smoking cuts the risk for heart disease in half, but not smoking to begin with gives a better chance of maintaining a healthy heart. The combination of smoking and use of hormonal birth control puts women at even greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Even secondhand smoke can harm the heart and blood vessels. E-cigarettes have not been proven to be any more or less dangerous than cigarettes when it comes to long-term health effects and heart health.

Eating a healthy diet is a good way to prevent heart disease and health problems that lead to heart disease, and it can prevent chronic diseases. Eating a combination of healthy foods from all the food groups and reducing intake of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar in your diet is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. 

Fewer than one in five American women gets at least 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week, as is recommended to help prevent heart disease. Being inactive is a major risk for heart disease as physical activity helps blood vessels remain flexible and open, allowing the blood to reach every organ. Physical activity also helps strengthen the heart and can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and the buildup of plaque in the arteries.  

Alcohol can damage the heart muscle and raise blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Research shows it also enhances women’s risk for breast cancer. Women who are pregnant, under 21 years of age, and/or are taking certain medications should not drink alcohol. 

Stress can also lead to heart disease. The risk of heart disease gets higher the longer you’re stressed out and can eventually lead to a heart attack. It’s important that we learn how to cope with stress in healthy ways, especially in situations that are emotionally upsetting, in order to maintain a healthy heart.