5 1/2 million women will suffer from angina.

An estimated 42 million American women live with cardiovascular disease, but too many are unaware of the threat they face.  All too often, women don't know the warning signs.  Below are 5 facts you need to know so you can begin to improve your heart health today:
 

1)  Heart disease affects women of ALL ages.  In fact, 35.3% of deaths in American women over the age of 20, or more than 432,000, are caused by cardiovascular disease each year.  It is the leading cause of death of American women, with more than 200,000 women dying each year from attacks - five times as many women as breast cancer.  It's a myth that estrogen makes women heart-attack-proof, because even young women can have heart attacks.  

  

2)  Heart disease affects more women than men.  More women than men die from heart disease each year.  One reason?  Women are less likely than men to receive appropriate treatment after a heart attack, or even know the symptoms.

3)  Chest pain is still the most common symptom when having a heart attack, though not everyone experiences it.  Although a heart attack without chest pain is a bit more common in women than in men, chest pain is still the most common symptom of a heart attack for women and men.  Typical chest pain is a squeezing pain, fullness or heaviness in the chest. Women are slightly more likely than men to experience atypical chest pain, which may be burning or sharp and of a shorter duration.

 

4)  9 out of 10 heart disease patients have at least one risk factor. Several medical conditions and lifestyle choices can put women at a higher risk for heart disease, including: high cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes; cigarette smoking; overweight and obesity; physical inactivity and alcohol use.

 

Believe it or not, according to the calendar, we are three-quarters of the way through with winter, though it may not feel like it outside.  As temperatures continue to drop, typically, so does our activity level.  All you want to do is stay in, curl into a ball, and eat. These tips, however, will help brighten things up in your life!

1)  Have your bedroom lights turn on a half hour before you're supposed to wake up.  One of the symptoms of winter blues is increased difficulty getting up in the morning, even if you've had plenty of sleep. Plugging a bright, fluorescent lamp into a timer and having it turn on before your alarm goes off will help simulate an artificial dawn.  Plus, it'll make it easier to get out of that warm bed!

2)  Expose yourself to sunlight as early in the morning as you can.  You want to maximize the number of hours you experience daylight. Wake up early, and lift the curtains or go outside as soon as you get out of bed.

3)  Exericse.  Did you know that one hour of aerobic exercise outside (even when it's cloudy) has the same therapeutic effects as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors? This is because it raises serotonin levels, which tend to get low when you have the winter blues.  Too cold outside?  Now may be the perfect time to start swimming (think of how nice that warm water will feel!) or go heat things up with a good Zumba or Spin class. 

4)  Take it outside.  Taking up activities that can only be done in the winter is a good way to look forward to winter, rather than hating it. Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding, tubing, winter photography, even running - see these things as challenges, not obstacles.  Embrace winter, and it cannot be your enemy!   

   

5)  Dress for the cold. Many people say they hate winter simply because they're cold all the time. If this applies to you, then re-examine your wardrobe and make sure you're appropriately dressed. Make sure your hands, feet and head are kept warm. Long underwear can also work warming wonders.    

 

6)   Winter, too, shall pass. Even though winter may not seem so terrific, it brings a lot of good things, too. Many television shows only come on between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.  Sledding, snowball fights, snowmen, hot chocolate, blue jeans, and roaring fires simply aren't the same in the starching heat of August. Keep a positive attitude, and the cold months will fly by.

 

(Source: WikiHow)  

Our vision is to provide the highest level of care to women through all phases of their lives while helping them to understand how and why their bodies function as they do.

 

We consider patient education to be one of our most important responsibilities. By educating women and empowering them to take a more active role in their own health care, they are able to make better decisions that will enable them to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

 

Please know that we value and respect our patient's privacy.  Your name will never be shared or sold and you can unsubscribe from our list by clicking the icon at the bottom.   

 

The highest compliment you can give us is to refer our practice to others.  We value your trust and thank you in advance.