It’s a frightening fact, but heart disease has become the biggest threat to women in Ireland. Luckily, there are ways to keep your heart healthy and happy
Heart attacks normally bring to mind images of stressed out business men – or perhaps, older over weight men. This is, of course, correct, but many women suffer from heart disease too. In fact, it is the leading cause of death in women in Ireland. Research shows that 60% of Irish women deem breast cancer to be a bigger health risk, while only 18% of women correctly identify heart disease as the main cause of female death. There is action that women can take to reduce their risk of heart disease. The following tips and advice can help to prevent the onset of heart disease.
1 Do not smoke
An increasing number of women are now smoking, yet smoking remains the major cause of premature deaths in Ireland. The amount of oxygen carried in your blood is reduced if you smoke. Smoking can cause your blood to clot by increasing the levels of fibrinogen and platelets in the clotting process, thus significantly increasing your risk of having a heart attack.
2 Get active
Regular physical activity is the key to maximising the effect on heart health. Exercise could involve a brisk walk and ideally should be no less than 10 minutes to be beneficial, ideally 30 minutes everyday. Set yourself target dates, progress slowly to gradually increase your fitness and the duration of each session. Exercising with a friend or in a group is shown to be more motivating and provides better long-term success. You should speak with your GP before you undertake any physical activity if you are on any prescription medication.
3 De-stress
Stress is not a main risk factor for heart disease, but it can increase the levels of adrenaline and cortisol being produced in your body. These hormones increase your blood pressure and can cause your blood to clot in your arteries – but there needs to be more research to find out the mechanisms of this. Stress is difficult to measure as we all find different things in our lives stressful. It is important to try to do something that relaxes you regularly. Some women find taking a long bath, going for a stroll, yoga classes or physical exercise can help them relax.
4 Watch your cholesterol
Many studies have shown that a high level of total cholesterol in the blood is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. A total cholesterol level of less than 5.0 mmol/L is advised, particularly in people at high risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is a soft, wax like substance that is found in every cell in our body. It performs several important functions in the body; it makes up part of the walls of each cell; it is a key component in the manufacture of hormones and it helps produce bile acids, which help promote the absorption of fat from our diets.
Several forms of cholesterol and triglyceride, collectively called lipids are found in the blood stream. LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol accounts for most of the cholesterol in the blood stream. LDL is the form of cholesterol that enters the lining of artery walls.
When LDL levels are high, especially in someone who smokes, or has high blood pressure or diabetes, the build up of LDL in the arteries grows more quickly and forms plaques. These plaques can clog up the arteries, reducing blood flow to vital tissues.
A quick way to remember that LDL is the bad cholesterol is L for LDL, L for ‘lousy cholesterol’. HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol carries cholesterol in a form that does not damage the artery walls. HDL is known as ‘good’ cholesterol because a high level of HDL seems to protect against heart attack by removing excess cholesterol from atherosclerotic plaques.
HDL accounts for 20-25% of the total cholesterol level. The higher the HDL level, the better. A quick way to remember that HDL is the good cholesterol is H for ‘healthy cholesterol’.
4 simple ways to reduce cholesterol:
1 Reduce fat and cholesterol in your diet.
2 Eat more foods rich in carbohydrates and fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3 Increase your level of physical activity.
4 Maintain a healthy body weight.
Family History
You can do little to influence genetic risk factors, which are inherited. However, taking care of your body by managing any risk factors that you can control will lessen your risk of developing heart disease.
If you have a first degree relative who suffered from heart disease, it is important to let your doctor know.
Diabetes and heart disease
Having diabetes or pre-diabetes puts you at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. When diabetes is associated with other risk factors such as a high blood cholesterol level, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking, the risk of heart attack and stroke is excessively high. Diabetes is particularly bad in women and removes their normal protection from heart disease in the pre-menopausal years. It is important for diabetic patients to control weight and blood cholesterol with a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet and regular exercise. It’s also important to lower high blood pressure and avoid smoking.
Heart attack survivor
Linda Robertson survived a heart attack last year and is now on the road to recovery. Here is her story.
One winter morning last year, Linda Robertson was up early with her youngest child Tyler, then 18 months, looking out at a fall of snow at 5am. Linda went back to bed, but when she got up a couple of hours later to get ready for work in Dublin city, she felt ill. “I hadn’t been well before that, I was attending the doctor so I had been getting blood tests done. But that morning after looking at the snow with the baby, when I got up again, I felt a heaviness,” recalls Linda, who was 43 at the time. “I thought I’d go to the doctor, but I started vomiting and sweating, so I called the ambulance. They were great, they did what they had to do and brought me straight up to the Mater Hospital.”
Lucky to be alive
Linda was assessed and brought down for an angiogram, but on the way, she had a cardiac arrest and needed to be treated with electric shocks. “It was like a jerk and I was brought into the room and it happened again. It felt like I was having an out-of-body experience – I remember looking at myself and thought I was asleep, I thought I should be awake,” she says.
“Then I heard the doctors calling my name. I asked one of them was I going to die, she said no – and she was right. I was in the best place for it to happen, I’m lucky to be here.”
Linda had a stent put in and within a few days, she was back home again. “It happened on a Monday and I was discharged from the hospital on the Friday. I was on medication and they recommended I go to cardiac rehab.”
So she attended the programme at Eccles Street.
Linda says: “It was fantastic there. I went three afternoons a week, and I did exercises, listened to talks on diets and medication. It was very good and helpful.”
At first, Linda went back for three-monthly checkups, then after six months and now she’s down to once a year.
She has a family history of heart problems – her father died of a massive heart attack – and following her cardiac event, she is working on keeping healthy.
“It makes you appreciate now that you are here, and you try to do a bit more of exercise and watch what you eat,” says Linda, although she admits it’s not always easy.
“It can be hard when you like all the wrong stuff. I did smoke and I still do, but I’m trying to come off them and we are getting there, so that’s good.”
Fast fact
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women, with nearly seven times more deaths than due to breast cancer. In 2008, 731 deaths were due to breast cancer while nearly 5,000 were due to cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.
More info
Go to www.irishheart.ie for more information on how to keep heart healthy.
