Facts About Cardiovascular Disease

Do women really need to worry about cardiovascular disease?

Heart disease is not an illness that plagues only men. Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases are alos devastating to women.  In fact, coronary heart disease, which causes heart attacks, is the leading cause of death for American women.

Many women believe that cancer is more of a threat, but they are mistaken. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease and stroke than cancer. In 2003,  cardiovascular diseases claimed the lives of 483,842 women in the United States. 42,540 Illinoisans, about half of which are women, will die of cardiovascular disease annually. One in five females has a form of heart or blood vessel disease. 38 percent of women die within a year after having a heart attack, a figure that pales in comparison with 25 percent of men. During the first six years after a  heart attack, the rate of having a second attack is 35 percent for women and 18 percent for men.

How do I know if I have cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease is usually silent, but  has symptoms. Lack of blood flow to the heart muscle can cause symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations and dizziness. Talking to your doctor about your symptoms, along with routine medical care, are necessary first steps to determine if further evaluation is necessary. Many cardiac risk factors are controllable, including hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, smoking and obesity/physical inactivity.

What factors increase my chances for cardiovascular disease?

The three biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are manageable include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol levels. Other risk factors, such as being overweight or having diabetes, also are conditions over which you have  control.  Any of these risk factors will raise your chances of having heart-related problems.

Studies show that physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease. Physically active women have an approximately 60 to 75 percent lower risk of heart disease than women who are inactive. Physical activity includes daily walking, climbing stairs, gardening and so on.

Unfortunately, more than half of all women in the United States are physically inactive. Excess body weight in women triggers coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and death from heart-related causes. The more overweight you are, the higher your risk for heart disease.


Diabetes, a disease related to poor blood sugar regulation, is a serious disorder that raises the risk of coronary heart disease. The risk of death from heart disease is three times higher in women with diabetes. Diabetic women also are more prone to have high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. The risk of heart attacks or stroke is higher for women who both smoke and use high-dose birth control pills (oral contraceptives).

 What other factors contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease in women?

1. Menopause and estrogen loss

Many scientists believe that estrogen, a hormone produced in a woman’s body, offers some protection against heart disease, but they have yet to prove this theory. There is less evidence that estrogen may protect a person against stroke. Several population studies show that the loss of natural estrogen as women age may contribute to a higher risk of heart disease. If surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries causes the .onset of menopause, the risk rises sharply. If menopause occurs naturally, the risk is less.

2 Birth control pills

Today’s low-dose oral contraceptives carry a much lower risk of heart disease and stroke than early contraceptives did. This said, they are still put a user at risk of heart disease.

3.High triglyceride levels

Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. A high triglyceride level often goes with higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL, lower levels of HDL and an increased risk of diabetes.
.
LDLs, Low-Density-Lipoproteins is "bad" cholesterol. When consumed, it causes the furring of your arteries and makes your heart work harder. HDL stands for High Density-Lipoproteins. It is the good cholesterol that flows through your arteries and removes  LDLs.

4. Excessive alcohol intake

The risk of heart disease in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol is lower than in non-drinkers. However, it is not recommended that nondrinkers start using alcohol or increase the amount they drink.  Binge drinking leads to obesity, high triglycerides, cancer, hypertension and other diseases. Pregnant women should not drink alcohol at all.

5. Poor stress response

Research has not yet proven that stress plays a part in developing heart disease. People respond differently to situations that they find stressful.

Unhealthy responses to stress, however, can put you at risk of heart disease.  These include activities like over eating or smoking.

What are the main tests for heart disease?

 Diagnostic tests are usually needed to confirm the presence and to assess the severity of coronary heart disease. Often, more than one test is needed because different tests supply different information. Also, patients vary in their symptoms and may need more than one test to find out their heart condition. The primary tests used to diagnose heart disease are the electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and stress test (or treadmill test or exercise ECG). Different standards exist for reading the EKG in women as compared to men. Make sure your doctor knows this. How can heart disease be treated? Heart disease and its risk factors can be treated in three ways: by making heart healthy changes in your daily habits, by taking medication, and in some cases, by having a medical procedure. Lifestyle changes may include not smoking, following a heart healthy eating plan, maintaining a healthy weight, and becoming more physically active. When lifestyle changes are not enough to control heart disease and its risk factors, medications may be needed. Medications are often used to treat high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure or heart disease itself. Advanced heart disease may require procedures to open an artery and improve blood flow. These procedures are usually done to ease severe chest pain or to clear blockages in blood vessels. What is the connection between hormone replacement therapy and heart disease? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a term for prescription hormone pills that are taken daily and can be used to relieve menopause symptoms. Estrogen pills have several important benefits. They can help you feel more comfortable as your body adjusts to lower estrogen levels by decreasing hot flashes, night sweats or vaginal dryness. HRT significantly reduces your long-term risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. Some studies show that estrogen may decrease the chance of developing or decrease the severity of Alzheimer's disease in women. Estrogen therapy also has risks, including increased risk of breast cancer and cancer of the uterus. A woman and her doctor must decide whether the benefits of hormone therapy are worth the risks. If you are considering this treatment, you will need to consider your overall health and your personal and family history of heart disease, uterine and breast cancer, and osteoporosis. More information about heart disease can be obtained by contacting:

 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 800-575-9355 www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/index.html U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/index.htm

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