How to keep the heart healthy during menopause
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women aged 65 and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 in the United States of America and Canada?
Cardiovascular disease includes many conditions, such as myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, hypertension, stroke and heart valve disease.
But does menopause in any way influence the more frequent occurrence of cardiovascular diseases?
After menopause, the risk of increased cardiovascular disease, especially after the age of 65, is much greater. This means that women are much more likely to die from heart problems than men.
The role of estrogen in the onset and development of cardiovascular disease is controversial and confusing, and further research is still needed to clarify it.
However, menopause is an excellent time for you to reassess your own health in many ways, including your cardiovascular disease risk.
It is never too late for such a thing. Do you know what are the risk factors for the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases?
These include smoking, lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-diabetes, high levels of bad cholesterol, excess weight and obesity, unhealthy eating, hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.
It is important to realize that, with the exception of genetic predisposition and family history, these risk factors are modifiable. You can reduce your risk by changing your lifestyle.
Stop smoking and your risk of heart disease and cancer will decrease over time.
Another step is to improve your diet and add fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats and chicken to your menu. Plant-based diets are very beneficial for health.
The other thing you need to do is to reduce the weight and melt the extra pounds. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes for exercise every day.
Control your blood pressure by regularly using medication if necessary.
Your personal doctor should conduct periodic preventive examinations and measure your blood pressure,cholesterol levels, weight.
Tell your GP if you smoke, as available assessment systems should be used to assess your risk. Get these checkups even if you don’t have any symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
It is also a good idea to research what the heart attack symptoms in women are, as they are quite different from those in men. And some researchers believe that women are more at risk of heart attacks.
Improper knowledge of heart attack symptoms leads to delayed treatment and higher mortality. Get medical help right away if you have:
Chest pain, increased pressure or tension in the chest area
Pain in your jaw, arms, back or neck
Unjustified severe fatigue
Shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness
Abnormal sweating
Pain in the upper part of the stomach
These are all signs of a heart attack and timely and adequate intervention by the doctor can save your life.
