While many women know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in our sex, we still can be guilty of reserving our most dogged concern for other areas. Over the past 20 years, breast cancer awareness – and the push toward regular mammograms and early detection – has done wonders to support female longevity. Yet at the same time, heart disease has struggled to gain similar traction in the women’s public health conversation. Why? Is it simply a question of prioritizing the present over the future; in other words, breast cancer detection requires my attention now, while worry over heart disease can come later?
As someone in her 30’s, I can relate to the feeling that breast cancer poses the more imminent threat. I’ve known friends that have already battled breast cancer, and since entering adulthood I’ve been reminded to check my breasts regularly.
But it’s also true that heart disease can start early and develop silently so we need to be just a vigilant. And while I am ALL for empowering women to stay on top of their breast health, the numbers show heart disease kills six times as many women as breast cancer every year.
When we look at heart disease in men vs women, it is important to acknowledge that there are some distinct differences. In men, the use of statins in combatting plaque has proven useful, for example. However, in women, heart disease tends to stem from non-plaque occurring issues (i.e. artery spasms and clotting) where statin drugs are generally not shown to be effective.
Despite the fact that we know there are differences when it comes to men’s and women’s heart health, the vast majority of studies have been done on men (just as most health/fitness studies are geared toward me).
So…how do we proceed? First, we need better funding for more female-specific studies (but that’s a larger topic for another day). Second, we must focus on the lifestyle and environmental factors within our control and known to impact our health.
Move. Daily movement will help maintain a healthy body composition, regulate your blood sugar and ward off diabetes, all of which can be contributing factors to heart disease.
Prioritize Mental Health. Mental health factors like depression and anxiety are known risk factors for heart disease. Check out my article on managing stress and talk to someone – there are so many resources out there for individuals. Don’t let finances be a perceived roadblock to your wellness.
Sleep. A Nurses Health Study indicates that individuals sleeping 5 hours or fewer per night have a 38% greater risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) than individuals who get 8 hours. Check out my article on sleep hygiene here.
Love Your Hormones. Estrogen is cardio-protective in women, which is in part why the incidence of heart disease goes up for women after menopause (estrogen levels drop) so maintaining the proper estrogen-to-testosterone balance is important. Second, get plenty of the “pro-hormone” vitamin D by consuming healthy fat in your diet such as cold water fish, full fat dairy and, yes, liver! It’s true that most of us have the ability to synthesize some vitamin D from the sun, but unless you’re spending a good deal of time outside each day without SPF it’s probably not sufficient on its own. Third, watch out for endocrine disruptors that can throw off your natural hormone balance – common disruptors are found in conventional cosmetics, household cleaning products and plastics. Check out the Environmental Working Group for more resources. And finally, be cautious of hormone replacement therapy and birth controls, neither of which have been shown to have long term positive effects on heart health.
Eat for Health. You won’t find me preaching about a low-fat, vegan diet with no salt. Quite the opposite. Not only have we found that fat does NOT make you fat, but there are also no direct correlations between animal protein (i.e. saturated fat) and heart disease. Check out Chris Kresser’s article on The Diet-Heart Myth for more on this. Instead I would urge you to eat intentionally, focusing on whole foods. Carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, animal protein, and healthy fats from animals, coconuts, olives, nuts/seeds and avocados are great places to start. (Avoid trans-fats completely!) Stay hydrated and incorporate a variety of anti-inflammatory spices/herbs like curry, turmeric and garlic.
Get a Pet. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), having a pet is likely to lower the risk of heart disease (particularly a dog)! Furry friends can boost our emotional and physical health – remember Fido needs to get outside and move too!
Don’t smoke. How is this still something we’re debating? It’s terrible for us. It’s terrible for the people around you. It’s terrible for our pets. It’s terrible!
