National Women’s Heart Week is February 1-7 and is a reminder that Heart Disease is the number one killer of American women. Recognizing symptoms and risks, making lifestyle changes and getting timely care can save a woman’s life. Women’s Heart Week is a national outreach campaign aimed at improving women’s outcomes from this deadly disease. Heart disease is America’s leading killer of women over the age of 34. Most women are not aware of this fact and fail to recognize their own risk factors for heart disease. Women’s symptoms, especially those that are milder, often go ignored. Women often miss out on critical opportunities to save their own lives.

How do you know if you are at risk for heart disease?  The way you live each day affects your heart.  An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to a heart attack or stroke.  Heart attacks often strike without warning.  Making lifestyle changes now could save your life.  Here is a list of risk factors for heart disease.  Give yourself 1 point for each risk factor that applies to you.

Family History – Your father or brother under age 55 or your mother or sister under age 65 has had a heart attack, stroke or bypass surgery.

Older Age – You are over 55 years old.  (After age 65, the death rate increases sharply for women.)

Smoking – Either you smoke or you are exposed to second-hand smoke most every day.

High Blood Pressure – Your blood pressure is over 135/85 or you have been told that you have high blood pressure.  (After age 45, 60% of White women and 79% of African-American women have high blood pressure.)

Physical Inactivity – You do not exercise for 20-30 minutes at least 3 days every week.  (Seventy percent of American women do not exercise regularly.)

Diabetes – You have been told that you have diabetes or take medicine to help control your blood sugar.  After age 45 diabetes affects many more women than men.

Blood Cholesterol Levels (LIPIDS) – Your HDL (High Density Lipo-protein or “good” cholesterol is <50 mg/dL, your LDL (Low Density Lipo-protein or “bad” cholesterol) is >130 and you have been identified with having risk factors for heart disease.  An HDL level of 60 is considered protective.

Overweight – You are 20 pounds or more overweight.  (Over a third of American women are more than 20 pounds overweight.)  Ask your healthcare professional if your Body Mass Index (BMI) places you at risk.

Metabolic Syndrome – Having at least three of a cluster of symptoms that are listed below places you at risk.

High blood sugar > 100 mg/dL after fasting

High triglycerides – at least 150 mg/dL

Low HDL (less than 50 mg/dL in women)

Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher

Women > 35″ waist (Waist measurement of 35″ or more or waist-to-hip ratio greater      than 0.80 is a predictor of high triglycerides and low HDL levels.)

Post Menopausal – by 7 or more years.  Either you have had a hysterectomy and had your ovaries removed or completed menopause.

Birth Control Pills – combined with regular exposure to cigarette smoke, greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke, especially after age 35.

Stress – You have a high demand/low control job with sustained high levels of stress.  Stress is a normal part of life.  How you cope with stress can affect your heart.

Excess Alcohol Intake – A woman should limit her alcohol intake to an occasional drink or two or no more than 2 oz. of alcohol per day (2 oz. is equal to a glass of wine, one beer or one cocktail).

If you have 2 or more points, consult with your healthcare practitioner and ask for a complete risk assessment.  Find out what you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease.