The female heart: Protect it at any age
If you’re a woman,
perhaps one of the most impor-
tant things you need to know about heart disease is this:
You don’t need gray hair to get it—or die from it.
It’s true that a women’s risk of increases with age. In
fact, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for American
women 65 and older.
However, the disease is also the second leading cause of
death among women 45 to 64 years old and the third one
among women 35 to 44 years old, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
You’ve heard the message many times: Women get heart
disease and have heart attacks just likemen do. But the signs
and symptoms of a heart attack in women can differ from
those in men, so ask your doctor how to recognize them.
In fact, the American Heart Association urges every
woman to sit down with her doctor and ask two questions:
1
“What factors keep me personally from being in opti-
mum heart health?”
2
“What are some practical steps I can take—given my
age, health and background—to change them?”
Possible problems, practical solutions
The
basics of heart health haven’t changed: Don’t smoke, keep
a healthy weight, stay active and eat right.
However, once you understand your personal risk fac-
tors for heart disease, it’s crucial to take these staples of
prevention and make them work specifically for you so
they become an essential part of your life.
Focusing on heart health, not just heart disease, is now
becoming the mantra for a heart-healthy life.
Here are some way you can keep your heart healthy:
Measure your weight.
It’s vital to keep a healthy body
weight and avoid abdominal obesity. If you aren’t sure if
your weight puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease,
ask your doctor. Meanwhile, you can check your waist
size (an indicator of too much belly fat) yourself with a
tape measure—less than 35 inches is healthy for women.
Be physically active.
You don’t have to join a gym or
step on a treadmill. Just go for regular walks. If you don’t
feel comfortable doing that in your neighborhood, walk
inside a nearby mall.
Feed your heart well.
Eat fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts
and whole grains. Talk frankly with your doctor about
any obstacles in your life to eating these heart-healthy
foods. Brainstorm ways to get around them.
Keep working with your doctor.
Be sure to let him
or her know of any changes in your life that may throw
roadblocks in your personal path to heart health.
RSVP for this year’s Go Red For
Women® luncheon Friday, Feb. 8, at The
Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village. For
more information, call Danielle Dietz,
event director, at 213-291-7048. See page 3.
H
e a r t
H
e a l t h
not low. Triglycerides are a kind of fat that can increase
heart disease risk.
Here are some numbers to strive for:
● 
●
A total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL of blood.
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An LDL of less than 100 mg/dL is optimal. The higher
your LDL, the greater your risk of developing heart
disease.
Numbers
by heart
Know the figures that indicate the
health of your heart
Maybe numbers
aren’t
your thing. But when it
comes to having a healthy heart, there are some num-
bers everyone definitely needs to know. And don’t worry,
there’s no real math involved in learning your blood pres-
sure, cholesterol and blood sugar numbers—numbers
that relate to your risk for heart disease. These figures
can help you understand your risk and help you stay on
a heart-smart path.
Blood pressure.
High blood pressure, or hypertension,
is a serious health threat. Among its consequences: heart
attacks and strokes.
Have your blood pressure checked at least once every
two years. A reading of less than 120/80 mm Hg is con-
sidered normal.
Cholesterol.
A blood test called a lipoprotein profile
can reveal your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
The bad kind of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein
(LDL), is the gunk that clogs arteries. HDL, or high-
density lipoprotein, is the good type of cholesterol—you
can remember this as the number you want to be high,
● 
●
An HDL level of 60 mg/dL or above. HDL helps clear
the bad cholesterol from arteries. An HDL level lower
than 50 in women and lower than 40 in men actually
increases the risk of heart disease.
● 
●
Triglycerides of less than 150 mg/dL. When this
number climbs higher than that, your heart disease risk
rises.
Blood sugar.
If your blood sugar is too high, it could
signal diabetes, a major risk for heart disease and a seri-
ous health concern on its own.
Your fasting glucose should be less than 100 mg/dL of
blood. Starting at age 45, have this test done at least every
three years. If you have diabetes risk factors, such as a fam-
ily history of diabetes, get tested earlier and more often.
PROTECT YOUR HEART
You can help keep your heart
healthy by:
● 
●
Limiting salt, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol
in your diet.
● 
●
Eating plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains and
foods made with whole grains.
● 
●
Getting regular aerobic and strength-training
exercise.
● 
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Maintaining a healthy weight.
● 
●
Not smoking.
If your doctor prescribes medicines—for example,
to control blood pressure or cholesterol—take them
as directed.
Sources: American Heart Association; National Institutes of Health
We are the only Primary Stroke
Center in Ventura County. For a free blood
pressure wallet card, call 877-888-5746.
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