Heart to Heart: Change your risk

In This Section:

Overview | The Facts | Signs & Symptoms
Change your risk | Take an Assessment | Team Up
SHMC Cardiac Service

While there are some risk factors you can’t control, such as a family history and menopause (after menopause, women lose protection of estrogens), there are other issues you can control to either decrease your risk for heart disease or stroke:

Stop smoking

• Women smokers risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women. Quitting is tough: Get help.

Learn your lipid levels

• Cholesterol can clog your arteries. Know your total cholesterol:
  • HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol): You want HDL to be high … greater than 50 for women.
  • LDL. LDL ranges vary according to your risk (lower is always better), but generally should fall into a range of 100-160.
  • Triglycerides (a normal range is less than 150).
• Track your blood pressure. High blood pressure (above 140/90) is the most important risk factor for heart failure and stroke. It has no symptoms. More than half of all women over age 55 have high blood pressure.
• Know your fasting glucose (sugar) level. Women with diabetes are far more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Diabetes doubles the risk of a second heart attack for women, but not for men.
• Reach a healthy body weight and exercise every day. Being overweight significantly raises your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and more. It’s worth the fight to lose extra pounds. The best way? Eat smaller portions and get 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. (You get equal results from three 10-minute spurts of exercise daily.)
  

Celebrate your successes! Keep track of what you’re doing to lower your risks … and reward yourself regularly.