February – Heart health for women

The month of february is here again when we remind ourselves that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in the U.S. Many women still don’t know. Of the ones that do, many don’t take it seriously. Heart disease has always been popularly considered a male disease, the stereotype being the middle-aged executive who drinks, doesn’t eat a healthy diet, doesn’t get enough exercise, is completely stressed out and has a heart attack at the age of 45.
This is very deceptive. Before menopause, women are less likely to develop heart disease than men. As you gradually get to menopause and beyond, the risk gradually rises until women become just as vulnerable to heart disease as men. Even then, women have been known to have heart disease in their 30s or 40s.
But don’t get too comfortable! Women in their 30s have been known to have heart attacks as a result of heart disease.
Visit your doctor and make some lifestyle changes. Eat less red meat and saturated fat and more chicken, fish, fruit and vegetables.
Get more exercise. If you haven’t been doing anything at all, then start exercising with these useful suggestions.
Do something different this year – for you and for the people you love and who love you.