Did you know that nearly 37 percent of all female deaths in America occur from heart disease.  The figures are similar in the U.K. and Australia,  yet not a lot of women realize that it is the leading cause of death.  Heart disease causes five times more deaths in women than breast cancer does.  This hub will look at how women's symptoms of heart disease will differ from those of men.  Then it will give you ten very easy changes to make to your lifestyle that can have a big impact on the health of your heart.  Please read on - you may learn something that will help you save a life, possibly even your own.

Heart Facts for Women

• Women have different symptoms of heart disease than men do.  They are more likely to experience upper abdominal pain rather than chest pain.  Also nausea, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath.
• After the age of 60 high blood pressure is more common in women than it is in men.
• The death rate from cardiovascular disease is significantly higher in black women than in white women
• Women with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of death from heart disease than men.
• Women are less likely to have risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol identified and treated.
• Heart disease has been studied more extensively in men and it is a fact that women are diagnosed later and have lower survival rates from heart disease than men do.

Be Aware of these Symptoms

• Breathlessness
• Cold Sweat
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Sleep disturbance
• Choking feeling in the throat
• Nausea or indigestion
• Pain or pressure in the jaw, shoulders, back or chest
• Fatigue
• Heaviness in the arms

Risks for Heart Disease

• High Cholesterol - your doctor should be able to give you a test for LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels
• High blood pressure - have your blood pressure checked at least once a year, excercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.  Reduce salt consumption
• Diabetes - have a urine test - especially if you have symptoms such as persistent thirst and exhaustion  
• Shape - if your waist measurement is bigger than 80cm you will be more at risk of a heart attack
• Family history - if a parent or sibling has had a heart attack you may have a genetic risk which your doctor should be able to monitor.

Ten Easy Tips 

1. Stop Smoking (OK this is the hardest of the easy tips).  But you should know that there are more than 600 chemicals in cigarettes which damage the cells lining your arteries.  These cells then become inflamed which can lead to cholesterol build up.  The good news is that within a year of giving up smoking you can halve your risk of heart disease.
2. Exercise.  Just taking a nice brisk walk for 30 minutes on five or more days a week will have an amazing effect on your heart health - reducing your risk of heart attack by as much as half.
3. Get enough good quality sleep.  You should aim for 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night.  It has been shown that people who sleep little (5 hours or less) are more prone to heart disease.  Untreated sleep apnea (where the airways collapse or become blocked regularly during sleep) can lead to heart disease.  If you suspect you may have apnea you should see your doctor.
4. Floss your teeth.  You have probably heard Dr Oz tell you this on Oprah.  Bacteria from unhealthy gums can enter the blood stream where it can cause inflammation of the arteries.  So good brushing and flossing of your teeth is imperative.
5. Eat more fish - especially oily fish like salmon and tuna which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.  This can help lower cholesterol levels as well as help to reduce heart arrhythmias and blood pressure.
6. Reduce stress levels in your life.  Stress hormones can damage the cells lining your blood vessels.  Adrenalin which is released when we are under stress can also damage the heart.  Depressed people are more at risk of heart disease.  Meditation and Yoga as well as exercise in general are good ways of reducing stress.  One of the best ways is to have a laugh - see my hub on laughing
7. Get some sun.  We are so bombarded with messages to avoid the sun, especially here in Australia where skin cancer levels are so high, that we sometimes forget the benefits of sunshine.  The fact is that just a few minutes of sun exposure everyday will significantly boost your vitamin D levels.  Vitamin D has the effect of reducing the artery narrowing plaque that can lead to heart disease.
8. Eat some chocolate!  But it must be the dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more).  This contains stearic acid which is heart friendly as well as flavonoids and magnesium to help lower cholesterol.  Don't overdo it though!
9. Have a glass of wine.  Moderate wine intake has been shown to be beneficial in the fight against heart disease.  Some of the European countries like France where moderate wine drinking is popular have much lower levels of heart disease than countries like the U.S.   Both white and red wine have good levels of antioxidants.
10. Find a good partner or good friends.  Social isolation can be a big risk for heart attack.

What your doctor may look at if you go to have your heart checked

• Blood pressure
• Blood glucose for diabetes
• Blood lipids - high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels are related to heart disease
• Urine protein and blood test for kidney fuction which can be predictors of heart disease
• Your weight
• An ECG traces the heart's electrical activity and will show abnormal heart rhythms as well as heart muscle damage and heart enlargement.    A stress ECG is performed on a treadmill.
• Echocardiography and stress ECHO look at the function of the heart muscle and valves.

For More Information

http://www.hearthub.org/

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.bhf.org.uk/