Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors

“After menopause, risk factors for heart disease increase.
These include: high blood pressure, an increase in total
cholesterol, an increase in LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol)…”.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 heart disease risk factors?

DotS the definition of heart disease risk factors may vary. In Heart Health Living: Understand Your Risk for Heart Disease 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. These risk factors may be different for each person”.3

Heart Disease Risk Factors

What are heart disease risk factors?

In Coronary Heart Disease: Causes and Risk Factors – What Raises Your Risk of Heart Disease? the NHLBI elaborate on:

  • “Age…
  • Environment and occupation…
  • Family history and genetics…
  • Lifestyle habits…
  • Other medical conditions…
  • Race or ethnicity…
  • Sex…”.4

Age

For women, when does age become a risk factor for heart disease?

In Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? the (United States) Healthfinder.gov note:

“Your age and family history also affect your risk for heart disease. Your risk is higher if:

  • You’re a woman over age 55
  • You’re 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”.5

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 might have a higher risk of developing conditions that can lead to a heart attack or stroke”.6

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 explain:

“Having diabetes means you are more likely to develop heart disease. People with diabetes are also more likely to have certain risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, that increase their chances of having a heart attack or a stroke”.7

Menopause

Heart Disease and Women’s Risk FactorsIs there an association between menopause and heart disease?

In What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health note:

“Before menopause, women have a lower risk of heart disease than men. However, as women age and their oestrogen levels fall, their risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Heart disease is one of the leading cause of death for Australian women. Heart disease also claims three times as many lives as breast cancer”.8

After Menopause

Is there an association between after menopause and heart disease risk factors?

In What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health the JH explain:

“After menopause, risk factors for heart disease increase. These include:

  • High blood pressure
  • An increase in total cholesterol
  • An increase in LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol)
  • A decrease in HDL (‘good’ cholesterol)
  • An increase in blood fats, such as triglycerides”.9

Heart Health

What can women do now for their heart health?

In What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health the JH note:

“You can reduce the risk of heart disease by having a healthy lifestyle. For example:

  • Eat a healthy and nutritious diet
  • Do regular exercise
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Don’t smoke
  • Limit alcohol intake”.10

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:

“A crucial step in determining your risk is to see your doctor for a thorough checkup. Your doctor can be an important partner in helping you set and reach goals for heart health. But don’t wait for your doctor to mention heart disease or its risk factors. Many doctors don’t routinely bring up the subject with women patients”.11

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Heart Disease and Women’s Risk Factors?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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Links

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  66. Millionhearts.hhs.org
  67. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cardiovascular Disease
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  97. Women’s Wellness: Understand Heart Disease Symptoms and Risk Factors Unique To Women
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  100. Yourethecure.org

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health. Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 20 November 2023
  2. Heart Disease: About Heart Disease – What Is Heart Disease? Last Reviewed: 15 May 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm Accessed: 20 November 2023
  3. Heart-Healthy Living: Understand Your Risk for Heart Disease. Last Updated: 24 March 2022. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/risks Accessed: 20 November 2023
  4. Coronary Heart Disease: Causes and Risk Factors – What Raises Your Risk of Heart Disease? Last Updated: 24 March 2022. National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/coronary-heart-disease/causes Accessed: 20 November 2023
  5. Keep Your Heart Healthy: The Basics: Overview – Am I At Risk for Heart Disease? Content Last Updated: 11 April 2023. Healthfinder.gov https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/heart-health/keep-your-heart-healthy Accessed: 20 November 2023
  6. Family History. Last Updated: December 2021. British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/risk-factors/family-history Accessed: 20 November 2023
  7. Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke. Last Reviewed: April 2021. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke Accessed: 20 November 2023
  8. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health. Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 20 November 2023
  9. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health. Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 20 November 2023
  10. What Is Menopause? Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause – Postmenopause: Heart Health. Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause Accessed: 20 November 2023
  11. 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: 20 November 2023
Topic Last Updated: 20 November 2023 – Topic Last Reviewed: 20 November 2023

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