By Guest Blogger Dr. Ramin Manshadi
1). Try to maintain an excellent health while pregnant and carry through with you pregnancy.
A recent study showed that women who have experienced a stillbirth or repeated miscarriages.
Have a greater chance of having heart attacks later in their lives. The risk of heart attack for a woman who had at least one stillbirth was 3.5 times higher than for women who’d had none.
A deficient prenatal nutrition can potentially cause a weak heart and vascular system since the nutrients are diverted to the fetus’s brain rather than the heart.
2). Avoid and control stress
A recent 10 year Harvard study found that women with high stress jobs had a 40 percent higher risk of having some kind of heart disease, along with an 88 percent higher likelihood of experiencing a heart attack.
3). Women should pay attention to Feeling tired, short of breath, or having diffuse sweating.
Women do not have the classic tell-tale symptoms of blockages that men have. The classic signs of angina or heart attack in men are chest pressure with walking, radiating to the left arm, with nausea. In women, instead, the symptoms can be pain in the upper back, fatigue, shortness of breath, or peruse sweating. If women have these symptoms, then they need to
visit a Cardiologist ASAP.
4). Treat your cholesterol aggressively.
Women tend to have higher cholesterol than men. Within the cholesterol, they tend to have lower HDL( the good cholesterol) . Additionally, high triglycerides ( the high fat content cholesterol) tend to more negatively affect women in terms of causing blockages and heart attacks.
5). Use Reynolds Risk Score (RSS) to asses risk for heart attack rather than Framingham Risk Assessment (FRA)
This is another reason why women do not get diagnosed as early with heart issues as men.
FRA undercuts some of the bio markers particular to women. This is especially significant, since if the score comes out relatively low, some doctors may not perform further screening tests. RSS is more gender specific and consider more variables.
6). Maintain ideal body weight
Another factor more emphasized in women is weight. The obesity epidemic in this country appears to be striking women more than men. Two third of women population fall into the obese category. One of the main reasons for developing diabetes is obesity. Diabetics have an equivalent risk of heart attack as someone who already had a heart attack.
7). Have your Vitamin D checked
Vitamin D deficiency in younger women can possibly elevate the risk of developing high blood pressure in mid- life. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack.
8). Keep Good Thoughts
A recent study showed that women who were optimistic had a lower level of developing heart disease and dying than pessimistic women. Optimistic were nine percent less likely to develop heart disease than pessimistic, with a 14 percent lower likelihood of dying.
9). Moderation in exercise is recommended
Women tend to have a significant micro vascular disease meaning tiny arteries having dysfunctional endothelium ( the inner lining of the artery) which can lead to plaque build up. Exercise in moderation can help improve endothelial function.
10). Quit smoking
Once again, besides all of the known negative effects of smoking on our bodies, smoking can severely damage endothelial function and accelerate heart disease and heart attack.
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Dr. Manshadi is a multi-boarded interventional Cardiologist treating patients from prevention to intervention. Because of his dedication to his work and patients he has been awarded Americas Top Doctors Award from U.S. News and World Report, and patient’s Choice Physician award. He complements his private practice with Academic Medicine and currently serves as Associate Clinical Professor at UC Davis Medical Center, Clinical Professor at University of the Pacific, and serves as the Chair of Media Relations for American College of Cardiology, California Chapter.
For more information visit: www.drmanshadi.com