With better medical research of heart disease in women, we now know that the effects of common heart problems in men and women can be quite different.
With this information, we now know that both sexes need to practice heart healthy lifestyles. The good news is that these preventative techniques work equally for men and women.
You probably thought that common heart problems are mostly found in men. That is the premise for so many researches focusing on the male of the species. However, we now discover than the rules change when women reach their mid-sixties.
Men tend to have heart disease seven or eight years earlier than women but after the age of sixty-five the risk is roughly even. According to a study, heart disease is the number killer of women of 65 or more of age. In addition, even with all types of cancer combined, American women are four to six times more likely to die of heart disease than cancer.
Studies have shown that heart attacks from heart disease cause more deaths in woman than in men. This could be caused by woman not recognizing the symptoms which vary from those typical for men, delaying diagnosis and treatment, having smaller vessels or being more susceptible to damage. Given the lower survival rate for women after a heart attack, additional research is necessary to determine the cause and find solutions.
Smoking is bad for both men and women. But the risk for heart disease in women is much greater for the woman who smokes, especially if she is using birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. A family history of heart disease also increases the risk factor proportinately higher in women.
Heart medications may become necessary if diet is not enough to lower your cholestrol and blood pressure. This should be talked over with your doctor. One thing is clear, maintaining healthy levels of blood pressure and cholesterol are imperative.
Heart problems. Strokes. Diabetes. All of these are products of being overweight and eating a wrong diet. Make certain you exercise regularly and eat a heart healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet.
Easy to do, low impact exercises such as going for a swim, walking or riding a bicycle are great for revving up your heart rate. Doing a minimum of 20 minutes of moderate exercise, enough to break a sweat, for a minimum of three days each week can contribute greatly to better health.
