Ladies: Preventive Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of A Heart Attack

Surprisingly true, women account for 1/3 of all deaths Worldwide which is equal to 8.6 million women who die from heart disease yearly. Three million die yearly from stroke related deaths, stroke accounts for more deaths among women than men, (11% in women VS 8.4% in men).

8 million women who currently live in the United States have heart disease, and many are not aware of it. Approximately 35,000 are under the age of 65, approximately 4 million suffer from Angina.

435,000 women have suffered heart attacks, approximately 83,000 are under the age of 65, approximately 35,000 are under the age of 55. The average age to suffer a heart attack is 70.4 years.

42% of all women who suffer a heart attack die within the first year, compared to 24% for men. A women under the age of 50 who suffers a heart attack is twice as likely to die compared to a man, as taken from www.womensheart.org.

Heart attacks kill six times as many women as breast cancer, which amounts to that 267,000 women per year die of heart related issues. Approximately. 31,837 women die of congestive heart failure, meaning that 62.6% of women die from heart disease.

Having high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) - often overlooked as a sign of chronic inflammation - can triple your risk of heart disease. Keeping your CRP level low will reduce your risk of having a heart attack. Women have uniquely different symptoms than men, unfortunately many of us are clueless when looking for the symptoms and signs of a heart attack. Awareness is the key to saving your life. Listed are the classic signs of a heart attack and symptoms more likely in women. Should you have any of these symptoms seek medical attention immediately!

Signs More Likely In Women

* Unexplained weakness or fatigue

* Indigestion or gas-like pain

* Light headed, dizziness, nausea or vomiting

* Chest discomfort that is continual

* Continual pain between shoulder blades

Classic Symptoms, Men and Women,

* Tightness in Chest

* Pain spreading to neck, shoulders or arm

* Sudden dizziness or loss of consciousness

* Heartburn or indigestion with nausea or without

* Shortness of breath

* Squeezing chest pain or pressure

Here are a few good tips that you should be aware of:

1. Smoking: Don't smoke, if you do stop! Women who smoke have a far greater chance of a heart attack then non-smoking women.

2. Consult: Always disclose your family history to your Doctor

3. Nutrition: Avoid foods high in saturated fats, eat at least 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

4. Relief: Take an aspirin at the first sign of any heart attack symptoms

5. Working out: Get off the couch and exercise! Walk, jog, mow the lawn do whatever it takes to get the heart moving.

6. Testing: Avoiding a heart attack is much easier then it sounds if we take the time to ask our Doctor for the CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test which measures inflammation levels in our bodies, which can determine any inflammation around our heart.

7. Cooking: Utilizing extra-virgin olive oil daily instead of using other oils or fats cuts your CRP levels by 20%. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and manages to turn-off one of the genes that kick-starts the production of CRP.

8. Vitamins: Check your medicine cabinet. A University of California at Berkley study reveals that taking 1,000-mg. of vitamin C daily lowers CRP levels by 24%, it cuts joint and inflammation in half, plus it lowers heart-disease risk by a whopping 20%.

9. Exercise: Melting that good old belly fat by exercising just 30 minutes each day reduces CRP by 30%. Exercise burns the belly fat, which can produce up to a third of CRP. Start walking, start moving and reduce the CRP risk.

10. Rest : A woman needs at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night, less than that can raise the CRP levels. Sleeping at least 6-8 hours can cut those CRP levels by a staggering 75%. What causes the CRP level to soar when lack of rest occurs is the stress hormone cortisol, which can trigger inflammation in your body cells to soar.

 

Always consult your physician before making any changes in your diet, exercise or daily regimen. Be kind to your heart and it will be kind to you.