It may surprise you to know that over 60 million women in the United States are living with heart disease, and it is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Risk factors that can predispose women for developing cardiovascular disease can include: diabetes, emotional stress and/or depression, smoking, inactivity/sedentary lifestyle, menopause, pregnancy complications, family history of premature heart disease, and inflammatory diseases. I was recently listening to one of my favorite podcasts (shout out to CardioNerds!) and they shared a fun fact: you can change your cardiovascular risk factors by up to fifty percent with just diet and lifestyle modifications alone, and you can stop a major cardiovascular event from happening by up to ninety percent with just diet and lifestyle alone!
So, with that being said, how can one make diet and lifestyle modifications? Movement is key. You should move your body every day. Ideally you would have about 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily. And don’t over complicate it! Walking is an easy way to get your movement in, and it is something the whole family can do together- furry family members included! Dietary modifications would include eating a more Mediterranean type diet, with a focus on whole foods, such as whole fruits and veggies, and lean proteins, and minimizing carbohydrate intake. Think shopping around the outer perimeter of the store, and less within the aisles where the pre-packaged foods are. Pre-packaged foods are often highly processed and thus incredibly inflammatory. Inflammation is a direct cause of cardiovascular disease. Being mindful of what you cook with is also helpful! Staying away from vegetable oils, or canola oils. And staying more with oils that are high heat stable such as avocado oil or coconut oil. Nutrition is very nuanced and can feel overwhelming. If you think dietary changes are important for you, it would be most helpful to find a provider that can offer in depth nutrition counseling, teach you how to read nutrition labels, provide meal ideas, and shopping lists. You want to set yourself up for success!
It is prudent to follow up regularly with your healthcare provider. If you have any significant cardiovascular risk factors they may send you to a specialist, such as a Cardiologist, for a more thorough workup and to watch you closely. Annual workups tend to include fasting lipid profiles, but it can also be helpful to check other inflammatory markers such as hemoglobin A1C- which checks for diabetes, fasting insulin- which can measure insulin resistance (an inflammatory state), hsCRP- an inflammatory marker, and lipoprotein a- which is another lipid marker that can better help to predict risk of cardiovascular disease.
Women’s cardiovascular disease tends to be underdiagnosed because it may not present in a “typical” way, such as intense chest pain or pressure radiating down the left arm. It may present as acid reflux, shortness of breath, tooth pain or jaw pain, abdominal pain, back pain, or overwhelming fatigue, just to name a few. As a woman, you know your body. If anything feels different to you, I would strongly encourage you to advocate for yourself and be seen by a healthcare provider who can better help you get the answers you need about your health!
