Health Feature Articles
Women: Take Action Against Heart Disease
Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist in Barton County, University of Missouri Extension
Friday, February 2 is National Wear Red Day. National
Wear Red Day is a part of the Heart Truth Campaign
developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute and the National Institutes of Health. All
people are encouraged to wear red on this important day
as a red alert to convey the message that heart disease
is the number one killer of women.
Heart disease is generally thought of as a man’s
disease but one in eight women aged 45-64 and one in
four women over the age of 65 has coronary artery
disease. Coronary heart disease is a disorder of the
blood vessels of the heart that can lead to a heart
attack. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes
blocked. Each year about 88,000 women, ages 45-64 have a
heart attack and about half of the women who have a
heart attack before age 65 die within eight years.
Women of all ages need to be aware of the risk for
heart disease but it is in midlife that a woman’s risk
for heart disease increases. At menopause, when a woman
stops producing estrogen, heart disease risk increases
significantly. Unfortunately, you can’t control your age
so that is a risk factor that is beyond your control.
Another risk factor beyond your control is having a
family history of early heart disease.
There are other risk factors that increase a woman’s
chance of developing heart disease. That list includes:
smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol,
overweight, diabetes and physical inactivity. These are
all things you can impact by making healthy lifestyle
changes. It is important to note here that Americans can
lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% just
by leading a healthy lifestyle.
If you have coronary artery disease, or if you are at
risk, you can take steps to keep your blood vessels
healthy. After one year of not smoking, your risk for
heart disease decreases by more than one-half. Work to
keep your blood pressure in normal range of 120/80. Have
your blood cholesterol checked. Total cholesterol should
be below 200, LDL cholesterol optimal level is less than
100 and HDL above 60 is a good goal. Choose foods low in
saturated fat and moderate in total fat, get plenty of
whole grains and fruits and vegetables and choose lean
meats and low-fat dairy products to maintain a healthy
weight and provide adequate nutrients. Get plenty of
exercise. This can help with weight maintenance as well
as high blood pressure and diabetes.
No one is immune to coronary artery disease. Heart disease develops over time and can start at a young age. No matter what your age, practice healthy habits now so you can be healthy and productive later.
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Last Updated 04/20/2008
