Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Kindly supported by
The heart of a woman
A lot of women think that its mostly men who get heart disease and in a survey
of 4,000 women, 54% of women were unaware that coronary heart disease
(CHD) claims more womens lives than breast cancer.
Source: Heart Research UK, (September 2016).
While women who have gone through the menopause are most at risk of developing heart disease,
women of all ages need to keep their heart health in focus.
You are not too young nor too old; whatever your age, be aware of your risk factors. If you have habits that
might be putting you at greater risk, make some changes now to lead to a healthier, happier, longer life.
Furred up arteries
Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, the process where
porridge-like deposits called atheroma, made up of fat, cholesterol and cells
are deposited in the inner wall of the arteries. This process eventually causes
the arteries to narrow.
Narrowed arteries can reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood that reaches the heart muscle, causing
angina, or they can become blocked altogether and cause a heart attack.
Atheroma build-up happens slowly and is accelerated by high levels of bad LDL (low density lipoprotein)
cholesterol and low levels of good HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol, high blood pressure and
smoking, although many other factors may play a role, your lifestyle can greatly influence all of these.
Give your heart the best
Take charge of your lifestyle and make small simple changes to your
habits to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Weight and shape Cholesterol levels
Women are designed to have more body fat than Total blood cholesterol is a measurement of both
men thats just the way it is. What really matters good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol
is where fat is laid down. Curvy hips might cause in your blood. Levels of both total cholesterol
concern for some women but, from a hearts and LDL cholesterol tend to increase with age,
viewpoint, pear-shaped is better than apple- while HDL cholesterol tends to decrease after the
shaped. menopause.
Carrying too much fat around your tummy can Eat a healthy heart diet, low in saturated fat and
also mean having excess fat around your internal rich in fibre. Include lots of fruit and vegetables
organs, increasing your risk of developing type 2 every day and oily fish at least once a week. Your
diabetes and heart disease. Keeping to a healthy weight, your level of physical activity and whether
weight and waistline will promote healthy blood you smoke can influence cholesterol levels.
pressure and cholesterol levels as well as lower
body fat. Even a small 5-10% weight loss will have Get active
benefits and reduce your risk of developing heart Moving more and keeping physically active can
disease. help reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol
levels and risk of heart disease.
This is best achieved gradually, by reducing your
calorie intake, following a healthy balanced diet The government recommends moderate
and increasing your physical activity level. intensity physical activity for at least 150 minutes
per week. This means increasing your heart rate
Blood pressure and making you slightly breathless. You dont
Around 30% of women in the UK have high blood have to do it all at once, 10 or 15 minute chunks of
pressure, increasing their risk of having a heart activity throughout the day is enough.
attack or a stroke.
Being active is not only great for your heart, it
Get your blood pressure checked regularly; will also help to keep your bones and muscles
reduce your salt intake; eat plenty of fruit and healthy, give you more energy, help to lift your
vegetables; keep active and, if you drink alcohol, mood and aid restful sleep.
drink sensibly.
Diabetes Smoking
You are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes Smoking can more than double the risk of heart
if you are overweight, have a family history of disease because of the harmful chemicals
diabetes or have high blood pressure. in tobacco. Women who both take the
contraceptive pill and smoke are at an increased
Be sensible; keep your weight, blood pressure risk of coronary heart disease compared to those
and cholesterol levels under control and take who dont smoke.
any prescribed medication correctly. Stick to a
healthy heart diet and move more. Apart from the harm that it does to your heart,
stopping smoking will result in nicer smelling
clothes, hair and breath, and younger looking skin.
Women fear dying from breast cancer but the fact is that we are
almost three times more likely to die from heart disease.
The good news is that by taking a few simple and positive steps we can
prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease by following
the guidance on exercise, knowing our blood pressure is controlled and
lowering our cholesterol levels.