Articles
Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
Content
Heart attack symptoms for women
Heart disease risk factors for women
Is heart disease something only older women should worry about?
What can women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?
Exercise to reduce the risk of heart disease in women
What's a healthy weight?
Is the treatment for heart disease in women different than in men?
Taking aspirin to prevent heart disease in women
What can women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?
Living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Try these heart-healthy strategies:
- Quit smoking. If you don't smoke, don't start. Try to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, which also can damage blood vessels.
- Exercise regularly. In general, everybody should do moderate exercise, such as walking at a brisk pace, on most days of the week.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Ask your doctor what weight is best for you. If you're overweight, losing even a few pounds can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of diabetes.
- Eat a healthy diet. Opt for whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and lean meats. Avoid saturated or trans fats, added sugars, and high amounts of salt.
- Manage your stress. Stress can cause your arteries to tighten, which can increase your risk of heart disease, particularly coronary microvascular disease.
- Limit alcohol. If you have more than one drink a day, cut back. One drink is approximately 12 ounces (360 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (150 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounces (45 milliliters) of distilled spirits, such as vodka or whiskey.
- Follow your treatment plan.Take your medications as prescribed, such as blood pressure medications, blood thinners and aspirin.
- Manage other health conditions. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease.