Know your risks as a woman for heart disease and how to prevent it.

1. Heart Disease has long
been known as a man’s
disease, but it’s also the
leading cause of death
for women.
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2. Heart Disease is
responsible for the
death of 1 in 3 women
each year! And studies
show that most heart
attacks in women occur
within the first 10 years
following the onset of
menopause.
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3. The good news is that
no matter your age, you
can still do things to keep
your heart healthy.
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4. Learn your numbers:
Make an appointment
with your healthcare
provider and find out your
numbers. These simple
tests can help detect
conditions that lead to
heart disease. If caught
early, simple lifestyle
changes or medications
can prevent heart
disease.
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5. Know your risk – Even if
your numbers are good,
find out about your family
history. If your father,
brother or grandfather
had a heart attack before
the age of 55, or if your
mother, sister or
grandmother had one
before the age of 65, you
may be at risk.
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6. Don’t smoke – Smoking
puts you at risk for heart
disease and stroke, in
addition to cancer and
other diseases. In
fact, smokers are 2-4
times more likely to have
a stroke or develop heart
disease than non-
smokers. This is the most
preventable cause of
death in the United States
today.
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7. Limit Alcohol
Consumption – Not only
does alcohol add calories
to your diet, it can cause
your blood pressure to rise
and lead to heart failure
and stroke. For women, it
is recommended to drink
no more than one
alcoholic beverage a day.
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8. Get Healthy – Around the
time that menopause sets
in, it becomes more
difficult for many women to
maintain a healthy weight.
Eat less simple
carbohydrates, limit
alcohol and sugar and eat
more lean protein, fruits
and vegetables. Exercise
at least 150 minutes each
week. Ideally you should
keep your Body Mass
Index below 25 and your
waist under 35 inches.
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9. See your doctor
regularly – After
menopause, our bodies
lose some of our natural
ability to fight off heart
disease and diabetes.
Your best course of action
is to schedule regular
visits with your doctor and
talk about what you can
do to reduce your risk of
developing heart disease.
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10. Don’t Wait! To learn
more about your risk for
heart disease, see your
doctor or schedule a heart
risk assessment with an
Adena cardiologist.
To find an Adena
cardiologist, call
1-877-779-7585
or visit www.adena.org
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