According to the American Heart Association, women are at higher risk than men for heart disease and conditions associated with heart disease. It\u2019s the number one cause of death of women across the United States, but many still believe it\u2019s a \u201cman\u2019s illness.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise that when it comes to heart health, many women don\u2019t know the signs or skip the life-saving exams that could diagnose heart disease. Stay healthy by knowing the top six heart health mistakes many women might be making.<\/p>\n
Too many women neglect their preventive health exams, including routine blood pressure screenings. High blood pressure, also called \u201cthe silent disease,\u201d affects 76.4 million adults in the U.S. What\u2019s even more surprising is that over 20% of people don\u2019t even know they have high blood pressure<\/strong>, which can lead to a heart attack.<\/p>\n Take advantage of your annual well-woman visits and other preventive health screenings covered under your plan to prevent high blood pressure.<\/p>\n Bonus: Check out our other post on how seeing your eye doctor can keep your heart healthy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Did you know that women can have different symptoms for heart attacks than men? In fact, women are more likely<\/strong><\/em> to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain.<\/p>\n The American Heart Association<\/a> reports that \u201cwomen often chalk up the symptoms [of a heart attack] to less life-threatening conditions like acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.\u201d<\/p>\n Shortness of breath, lightheadedness or dizziness, and nausea or vomiting can all be symptoms of a heart attack in women \u2014\u00a0unaccompanied by chest pain.<\/p>\n Yo-yo dieting, repeatedly losing and regaining weight, has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease.<\/p>\n A recent study concluded<\/a> that women with normal weight who engage in \u201cyo-yo dieting\u201d are 3.5 times more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest and 66 percent more likely to die from coronary artery disease.<\/p>\n Although this doesn\u2019t mean that losing and gaining weight causes<\/em> heart disease, it does suggest that the likelihood of heart disease may increase.<\/p>\n According to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, women with diabetes are at greater risk of heart disease than men. It\u2019s important to monitor your sugar intake and cut down on added sugars. This reduces the chance of developing diabetes as you age.<\/p>\n How much sugar is it safe to consume? The American Heart Association recommends<\/a> that women consume \u201cno more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n Women face several unique heart disease risks. Pregnancy and menopause can increase blood pressure in some women, while diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy \u201ccan increase women's long-term risk of high blood pressure and diabetes and increase the risk of development of heart disease.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Post-pregnant or postmenopausal women can help prevent heart disease by exercising, seeing their primary care doctors, and regularly taking medications to manage diabetes or high blood pressure.<\/p>\n2. Overlooking heart attack symptoms<\/h2>\n
3. Yo-yo dieting<\/h2>\n
4. Eating too much sugar<\/h2>\n
5. Ignoring risk factors<\/h2>\n
6. Not exercising enough<\/h2>\n