Let's Have a Heart-to-Heart
Why are women more likely than men to die of heart disease?
Credit: Adobe
Greetings!
Between Valentine’s Day and February being the official “Heart Month,”(proclaimed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964), it’s tough to ignore our hearts. They are our first-to-develop muscular organ, roughly the size of a fist, crucial for keeping us alive.
Although diminutive in size - about just one pound (men’s hearts are a bit larger than women’s) - our hearts do a lot of work.
💓Our hearts beat about 115,000 times each day
💓Our hearts pump about 2,000 gallons of blood daily through our blood vessels
All hearts are not created equal
Aging creates changes in the heart and blood vessels. And although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, there are important differences worth noting.
Heart disease can look and develop very differently in women.
Why? It’s partially because of the difference in anatomy and physiology. Women, compared to men, for instance, have smaller hearts and narrower blood vessels.
But until fairly recently, women with heart disease have been both diagnosed and treated like men when it came to tests, procedures and some medications.
And because of these differences, there are important things to be aware of
Heart attack symptoms can be different for women
The classic chest pain or pressure is still the leading complaint for a possible heart attack, but there are other symptoms women are more likely than men to feel:
Nausea
Sweating
Vomiting
Pain in neck, jaw, throat, abdomen or back
Heart disease, the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., is more deadly than all types of cancer combined.
Women’s risk factors for heart disease may be different than men’s
Did you know that reproductive history can be a risk factor? I didn’t either and was surprised to learn that.
Certain pregnancy conditions - like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes - may be powerful predictors of your future risk of heart disease.
Women aged 40 or younger with endometriosis might be more likely to develop heart attack, chest pain, or require treatment for blocked arteries compared to women without endometriosis, according to a 2016 study.
It’s worth noting that heart disease can, and does, affect women of any age. But the good news is that heart disease is mostly preventable.
Women may require different diagnostic heart care than men
There’s a test called the cardiac troponin (cTn) test that both men and women are given when they have signs and symptoms of a heart attack. This measures the protein released in the blood when a heart attack has caused damage to the heart muscle. Higher levels signify more heart damage. But some women’s threshold may fall below the level of detection.
Similarly, another test, a cardiac catheterization, long the gold-standard for detection, may be different for men than for women. That’s because this test looks for blockages in the large arteries, but women are more likely than men to experience plaque buildup in the smallest arteries.
What to do? Advocate for yourself and ask if there are other, more appropriate tests, which might include a cardiac MRI or intravascular ultrasound.
Let’s Talk About Risk
The menopause transition affects heart disease risk. (You knew you were going to eventually read this, right?) Blame estrogen. Estrogen has a protective effect on our hearts, by keeping cholesterol levels in check (increasing the good and decreasing the bad), increasing blood flow and helping reduce damage from free radicals (which can cause damage to cells). Estrogen’s drop after menopause ups our risk for heart disease.
And there’s more: Less estrogen…more belly fat… thicker and stiffer arteries…hot flashes/night sweats, creating a greater risk of high blood pressure = higher cardiovascular disease risk.
And menopause aside, there are other obvious heart disease risk factors, including:
Obesity or overweight
Family history
Age
Smoking
Diabetes
Unhealthy diet
Stress and depression
Lack of activity
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Let’s Talk Prevention
Since high blood pressure is one of the highest risk factors for heart disease, know yours - and keep it under control. And since high blood pressure has no symptoms, it’s important to check yours regularly.
Uncontrolled diabetes, like uncontrolled blood pressure, raises your risk of heart disease. Make sure to ask your doctor if you should be tested for diabetes.
Hopefully you don’t already smoke. If you do, please quit; if you don’t, don’t start now!
Let’s talk the obvious: Nutrition and Exercise. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Remember, even short bursts of exercise are beneficial for your heart.
As for nutrition, you likely know the drill. Making healthy food choices is vital: load up on veggies, fruits, whole grains and healthy protein sources. Take a look at these recos from the American Heart Association.
Limit your alcohol to one drink per day.
Manage your stress levels. Yoga, meditation, a walk in nature…whatever it takes to get you to relax (*within reason*). Note: I recently picked up some colored markers and a coloring book, and am finding this to be so relaxing! This is not the one I got, but I might have to get it next time.
Some heartfelt facts
Laughing is good for your heart. It reduces stress and boosts your immune system.
You can suffer a “real” broken heart from emotional stress. Read about broken heart syndrome here.
Good news if you, like me, love (dark) chocolate! According to research, dark chocolate’s many health benefits include a lower risk of heart disease. You can thank those cocoa solids, which are rich in plant chemicals called flavanols, which support the production of nitric acid (which relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow). But beware the calorie count: It’s high at 150-170 per ounce, so practice moderation if you can!
Even if you don’t have heart disease, it’s important to manage your stress, since it can have a big effect on your heart. According to Harvard Medical School, major depression doubles the risk of dying from heart-related causes.
For a Pause…
I bake a lot of muffins and I think I might have to switch over to a heart-shaped pan like this one. Isn’t it cute?
This recipe from Cleveland Clinic has been my go-to (okay, I’m kind of addicted to these), and it’s heart-healthy to boot.
And while you’re at it, up your pasta game with, you guessed it, heart-shaped pasta. (Do you sense a theme here?)
These candies may not exactly be in the “healthy” category, but the memories they bring back might be worth a taste (or two).
You've gotta have heart, all you really need is heart, when the odds are sayin' you'll never win, that's when the grin should start. (Indeed, smiling is good for the heart, of course!)
Until next time, stay healthy, wellthy & wise!
Know someone who would like this newsletter? Please spread the news!
Haven’t subscribed yet? Here you go.