“…If I have just one risk factor for heart disease—say, I’m overweight or I have high blood cholesterol—aren’t I more or less “safe”? Unfortunately, no”.1
Umbrella
What may the Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD
- Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
- Heart Conditions
- Heart Disease Risk Factors
- Heart Disease/s
Heart Disease
What is heart disease?
DotS the definition of heart disease may vary. The (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition is:
“The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD), which affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack”.2
Risk Factors
What are risk factors?
DotS the definition of risk factors may vary. The (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) definition is:
“Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. They can also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse”.3
Heart Disease Risk Factors
What are heart disease risk factors we can do something about?
In Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? the NHLBI explain:
- Having high blood pressure
- Having high blood cholesterol
- Unhealthy lifestyle
- Being overweight or obese
- Diabetes and prediabetes
- Smoking
- Being physically inactive
- Having a family history of early heart disease
- Having a history of preeclampsia during pregnancy
- Unhealthy diet
- Age (55 or older for women)”.4
Age
For women, when does age become a risk factor for heart disease?
According to the NHLBI above:
- “Age (55 or older for women)”.5
In Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? the (United States) Healthfinder.gov note:
- You are a woman over age 55
- You are a man over age 45
- Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55
- Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65”.6
Family History
Is there an association between family history and heart disease?
Yes. In Family History the British Heart Foundation elaborate on:
“If you have a family history of a heart or circulatory disease you’re at higher risk of developing conditions like coronary heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke”.7
Diabetes
Is there an association between diabetes and heart disease?
Yes. In Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke the (United States) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:
“Having diabetes means that you are more likely to develop heart disease and have a greater chance of a heart attack or a stroke. People with diabetes are also more likely to have certain conditions, or risk factors, that increase the chances of having heart disease or stroke, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol”.8
Menopause
Is there an association between menopause and heart disease?
Yes. The NHLBI explain:
“After menopause, women are more apt to get heart disease, in part because their body’s production of estrogen drops. Women who go through early menopause, either naturally or because they had a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease as women of the same age who have not yet gone through menopause. Another reason for the increasing risk is that middle age is a time when women tend to develop risk factors for heart disease”.9
In Health After Menopause: Cardiovascular Disease the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health note:
“Before menopause, women have a lower risk of heart disease than men, but as women age and their oestrogen levels fall after menopause, their risk of cardiovascular disease increases”.10
Lower Risk
How can women choose to lower their risk of heart disease?
The NHLBI explain:
“Being more physically active and eating a healthy diet are important steps for your heart health. You can make the changes gradually, one at a time. But making them is very important”.11
In Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? the NHLBI also note:
Health Care Provider
What is it important for women to keep in mind about heart disease risk?
In Heart Disease: It’s Not Just for Men – You and Your Doctor: A Heart Healthy Partnership the NHLBI remind us:
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Health Topics A-Z
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cardiovascular Disease and Go Red for Women
- Cardiovascular Disease and the WISEWOMAN Program
- Family Health History
- Heart Disease
- Heart Disease and Menopause
- Heart Disease and Women
- Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease
- Know Your Numbers
- Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease
- Metabolic Syndrome
Links
Where may I find Links related to Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.- 9 Myths and Misunderstandings About Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT): 4. Misunderstanding – MHT Increases the Risk of Heart Disease
- About Heart Disease In Women
- Alcohol
- Are You At Risk of Heart Disease?
- Aspirin for Reducing Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke: Know the Facts
- Blood Pressure Management
- Cardiosmart.org
- Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)
- Causes and Prevention of Heart Disease
- Chronic Stress Can Cause Heart Trouble
- Common Myths About Heart Disease
- Coronary Heart Disease
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Diabetes and Heart Disease
- Diabetes and Your Heart
- Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Resources and Information: Quick Links – 1. Question Prompt List
- Ethnicity
- Exercise To Prevent Heart Disease
- Facts About Heart Disease In Women
- Family History
- Family History and Other Characteristics That Increase Risk for Heart Disease
- Fitness
- For Women: The FDA Gives Tips To Prevent Heart Disease [Food and Drug Administration, United States]
- Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women, United States]
- Healthy Eating To Protect Your Heart
- Healthy Lifestyle
- Healthy Living
- Heart Disease In African-American Women
- Heart Disease In Hispanic Women
- Heart Disease In Women: Understand Symptoms and Risk Factors
- Heart Disease Risk Factors
- Heart Disease Risk Factors You Can Control: Behaviors
- Heart Disease and Women
- Heart Disease: It’s Not Just for Men – Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Heart Diseases – Multiply Languages
- Heart Doctor Explains Cholesterol Levels
- Heart Health Information In Your Language: Smoking and Your Heart Health
- Heart Health Information In Your Language: Women and Heart Disease
- Heart Health for Women [Multiply Languages]
- Heart Health: Are You At Risk for Heart Disease? [Video]
- Heart-Healthy Living
- Heart-To-Heart: Talking To Your Doctor
- High Blood Pressure and Women
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- How Does Sleep Affect Your Heart Health?
- How To Make Healthy Food and Healthy Lifestyle Choices Now
- How To Prevent Heart Disease
- How To Prevent Heart Disease After Menopause
- Infographic: Women and Heart Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease: What Should Women Know?
- Know Your Numbers? They Could Just Save Your Life
- Know Your Risk
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease?
- Lower Your Risk for the Number 1 Killer of Women
- Managing Your Weight: Risk of Heart Disease – Case Study Video – Shirley’s Weight Loss Story
- Mayo Clinic Minute: 3 Things Women Should Know About Heart Disease [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Brush Your Way To Heart Health
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How the Thyroid Affects the Heart [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Myth-Busting Heart Health [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What Is Heart Disease? [+ Video]
- Mayo Mindfulness: Tackle Stress, Anxiety and Depression To Benefit Your Heart
- Menopause and Heart Disease
- Menopause and Heart Disease
- Menopause and Your Heart
- Menopause – Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (HRT) Safe? [Multiply Languages] [Video]
- Millionhearts.hhs.org
- My Family Health Portrait
- My Life Check | Life’s Simple 7
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cardiovascular Disease
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Chelation for Coronary Heart Disease: What You Need To Know
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
- OfficialGoRed4Women [Videos]
- Physical Activity and Your Heart
- Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
- Prevent Heart Disease
- Preventing Heart Disease
- Quit Tobacco Today [+ Video: Meet Florence – She Can Help You Quit Tobacco!]
- Real Women
- Recipes [American Heart Association]
- Risk Checker – 5 Minute Health Questionnaire
- Risk Factors for Women
- Sleep
- Smokefreewomen [United States]
- Smoking
- Stories of the Heart: Videos
- Stress Management
- Stress and Heart Health
- The Heart Truth
- Video Series-2020 – How To Talk To Your Primary Care Clinician About Your Overall Health
- Video Series-2020 – The Role of Vitamins In Women’s Midlife Health
- Video Series-2020 – What Women Need To Know About Heart Disease
- WISEWOMAN
- What Is A Healthy Body Weight?
- What Is Meant By the Term Heart Age?
- Women and Physical Activity
- Women’s Wellness: How Jobs Affect Women’s Heart Health [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Women’s Wellness: Understand Heart Disease Symptoms and Risk Factors Unique To Women
- World Heart Day 29 September
- Yourethecure.org
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Heart Disease: About Heart Disease. Page Last Reviewed: 08 September 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? Content Last Updated on: 15 October 2020. Healthfinder.gov https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/heart-health/keep-your-heart-healthy Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Family History. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/risk-factors/family-history Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke. February 2017. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Health After Menopause: Cardiovascular Disease. Last Updated: 22 October 2020 | Last Reviewed: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/health-after-menopause Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Listen To Your Heart: Learn About Heart Disease – What Are Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease? National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/listen-to-your-heart Accessed: 23 November 2020
- Heart Disease: It’s Not Just for Men – You and Your Doctor: A Heart Healthy Partnership. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/heart-disease-not-just-men Accessed: 23 November 2020