Women

and their hearts

Kindly supported by
The heart of a woman
A lot of women think that its mostly men who get heart disease and in a survey
of 4,000 women, 54% of women were unaware that coronary heart disease
(CHD) claims more womens lives than breast cancer.
Source: Heart Research UK, (September 2016).

While women who have gone through the menopause are most at risk of developing heart disease,
women of all ages need to keep their heart health in focus.
You are not too young nor too old; whatever your age, be aware of your risk factors. If you have habits that
might be putting you at greater risk, make some changes now to lead to a healthier, happier, longer life.

Womens hearts at risk

The major risk factors for heart disease are
the same for men and women, (though men
are more at risk of CHD at an earlier age)
and some things, like family history and age,
you cant change.
A certain ethnic background, such as being of South Asian
origin living in the UK, also puts you at higher risk. However,
there are some risk factors that you can change:

smoking physical inactivity high blood pressure

high cholesterol levels high waist measurement
diabetes being overweight
Simple lifestyle changes can keep those risk factors at bay
and the sooner you start, the better.

Furred up arteries
Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, the process where
porridge-like deposits called atheroma, made up of fat, cholesterol and cells
are deposited in the inner wall of the arteries. This process eventually causes
the arteries to narrow.
Narrowed arteries can reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood that reaches the heart muscle, causing
angina, or they can become blocked altogether and cause a heart attack.
Atheroma build-up happens slowly and is accelerated by high levels of bad LDL (low density lipoprotein)
cholesterol and low levels of good HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol, high blood pressure and
smoking, although many other factors may play a role, your lifestyle can greatly influence all of these.
Give your heart the best
Take charge of your lifestyle and make small simple changes to your
habits to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Weight and shape
Women are designed to have more body fat than
men thats just the way it is. What really matters
is where fat is laid down. Curvy hips might cause
concern for some women but, from a hearts
viewpoint, pear-shaped is better than apple-
shaped.
Carrying too much fat around your tummy can
also mean having excess fat around your internal
organs, increasing your risk of developing type 2
diabetes and heart disease. Keeping to a healthy
weight and waistline will promote healthy blood
pressure and cholesterol levels as well as lower
body fat. Even a small 5-10% weight loss will have
benefits and reduce your risk of developing heart
disease.
This is best achieved gradually, by reducing your
calorie intake, following a healthy balanced diet
and increasing your physical activity level.
Blood pressure
Around 30% of women in the UK have high blood
pressure, increasing their risk of having a heart
attack or a stroke.
Get your blood pressure checked regularly;
reduce your salt intake; eat plenty of fruit and
vegetables; keep active and, if you drink alcohol,
drink sensibly.
Cholesterol levels
Total blood cholesterol is a measurement of both
good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol
in your blood. Levels of both total cholesterol
and LDL cholesterol tend to increase with age,
while HDL cholesterol tends to decrease after the
menopause.
Eat a healthy heart diet, low in saturated fat and
rich in fibre. Include lots of fruit and vegetables
every day and oily fish at least once a week. Your
weight, your level of physical activity and whether
you smoke can influence cholesterol levels.
Get active
Moving more and keeping physically active can
help reduce your blood pressure, cholesterol
levels and risk of heart disease.
The government recommends moderate
intensity physical activity for at least 150 minutes
per week. This means increasing your heart rate
and making you slightly breathless. You dont
have to do it all at once, 10 or 15 minute chunks of
activity throughout the day is enough.
Being active is not only great for your heart, it
will also help to keep your bones and muscles
healthy, give you more energy, help to lift your
mood and aid restful sleep.
Diabetes
You are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
if you are overweight, have a family history of
diabetes or have high blood pressure.
Be sensible; keep your weight, blood pressure
and cholesterol levels under control and take
any prescribed medication correctly. Stick to a
healthy heart diet and move more.
Smoking
Smoking can more than double the risk of heart
disease because of the harmful chemicals
in tobacco. Women who both take the
contraceptive pill and smoke are at an increased
risk of coronary heart disease compared to those
who dont smoke.
Apart from the harm that it does to your heart,
stopping smoking will result in nicer smelling
clothes, hair and breath, and younger looking skin.

Dr Catherine Dickinson, Consultant Cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary

and spokesperson for Heart Research UK:

Women fear dying from breast cancer but the fact is that we are
almost three times more likely to die from heart disease.
The good news is that by taking a few simple and positive steps we can
prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease by following
the guidance on exercise, knowing our blood pressure is controlled and
lowering our cholesterol levels.

General guidelines for women

The following guidelines generally apply for most women,
but they will depend on what other risk factors you may
have, for example your family history, whether you have
diabetes or if you smoke. Your doctor will advise you on this.
Blood pressure in the ideal range between
90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
Total cholesterol level below 5 mmol/l
LDL cholesterol below 3 mmol/l
HDL cholesterol above 1 mmol/l
Waist circumference below 31.5 in (80 cm)

Subtle symptoms for women

Women do not always experience the crushing chest pain that men typically feel when
having a heart attack. Women often have more subtle symptoms like:
shortness of breath dizziness indigestion/heartburn abdominal discomfort
nausea/vomiting unexplained tiredness back, neck/shoulder blade or jaw pain.
A healthy heart woman
Take charge and have a heart to heart with yourself. Look at the areas of your
lifestyle, and body, that need attention to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Fruit and veg fest go for at least 5-a-day.
Treat yourself to a colourful and varied selection
to give your body the vitamins, minerals and fibre
that it needs.
Full of fibre choose high fibre wholegrain
foods and pulses, such as wholemeal bread
and pasta, brown rice, oats, lentils and fruit and
vegetables with their skins on.
Fat aware avoid foods high in saturated
and hydrogenated fats, often hidden in processed
foods. Instead, favour foods and oils that are rich
in monounsaturated and omega-3 fats such as,
olive and rapeseed oils, avocados, walnuts and
pumpkin seeds.
Cooking queen cook from scratch with
wholesome ingredients and use food labels to
help you make the best choices for your heart.
Salt savvy dont exceed the
recommended maximum intake of 6g a day. Ditch
the salt cellar and watch out for sneaky salt often
found in processed foods, takeaways, breakfast
cereals, bread, cheese, sauces, condiments and
stock cubes.
Well-oiled oily fish are rich sources of
heart friendly omega-3 fats. Include mackerel,
sardines, salmon and fresh tuna (not tinned) in
your diet at least once a week to help keep your
heart healthy.
Drink wisely avoid exceeding the
recommended alcohol guidelines. Have at least
two consecutive alcohol free days per week and
avoid harmful binge drinking. Remember, alcohol
can be high in calories so may affect your weight
and waistline.
Balance up protect your me time and
indulge in some enjoyable hobbies and pastimes.
Have fun and enjoy quality time with family and
friends, share worries or concerns with someone
you trust and pamper yourself from time to time
all of which will help to manage stress levels.
Womens matters
There are also a few things that are particular to women and so are
worth considering.
Women and the menopause The contraceptive pill
It is thought that hormones, such as oestrogen, The contraceptive pill can increase blood pressure
may give some protection against coronary in some women and has been linked to an
heart disease (CHD), making women less likely increased risk of some vascular conditions, such as
to develop the disease than men before the thrombosis (blood clots) as well as breast cancer.
menopause.
Family planning and pregnancy
The menopause usually occurs between 45
A babys heart develops very early on and the
and 55 years of age, as the levels of oestrogen
heartbeat can be first heard at around six weeks.
decline. After the menopause however, CHD risk
If you are planning to have a baby, take up healthy
increases significantly and the gap between men
lifestyle habits before and during pregnancy to
and women narrows. Entering this time of your life
give your baby the best start in life.
with fewer risk factors and a healthy lifestyle will
help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome

Women living with polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) are at an increased risk of developing high
blood pressure and high cholesterol which can
lead to heart disease. If youve been diagnosed
with PCOS its important to manage your
symptoms, to help reduce your risk of coronary
heart disease too.
It's never too early or too late to look after your heart. Be mindful
of heart disease and keep yourself informed to minimise your risk
factors. Start living a healthy heart lifestyle now, so you can look
forward to a longer, healthier, happier future.
57% of women are unaware that after the menopause their risk of
CHD increases. Source: Heart Research UK, (September 2016)
As a home-shopping brand for women over 50, we are delighted to support the
important work that Heart Research UK do whilst encouraging our customers to
reduce their risk of heart disease and live healthier, happier, longer lives.

Heart Research UK is a national charity funding

pioneering research into the prevention, treatment More information
and cure of heart disease. We also support
Other Heart Research UK leaflets are
community-based lifestyle projects encouraging
available on the following topics
people to look after their heart health.
For more information contact us on healthy eating | cholesterol | diabetes
0113 234 7474 or email us at | blood pressure | smoking | general
lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk healthy heart advice | women and
Visit our website www.heartresearch.org.uk their hearts and many more.
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