Women over 40 just need to start to realize that it isn’t really breast cancer that’s threatening their privilege to live longer lives. Statistics reveal that with every woman lost to breast cancer, there are eight who are taken by heart disease. And, that number is definitely not something we, women over 40, can't just learn to live with. If you think you’re genetically blessed to be somewhat far from the possibility of getting in the middle of all these and, therefore, shouldn’t be a bit worried, you may want to think again.
Am I at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Most women tend to picture men when they think of heart disease. It is like we hardly see women suffering from heart attack, notes Dr. Susan Brace, Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist. Mention ‘heart attack’ and women can, in an instant, see an aggressive male VP, clutching his chest, and falling on his table, after a business meeting.
The truth is that heart disease is a non-discriminating disease. Women who think they are far from becoming a statistic are one of the closest groups to inviting heart disease in their lives. Heart disease, together with stroke, can be essentially associated with several risk factors, which are grouped into two categories: The things you can’t and can change.
First things first, the things that make you a viable candidate: Age, race, heredity, and health history.
Age essentially puts women over 40, and in particular those who are near the big M, at risk of cardiovascular disease. Of course we know that with age comes a lot of things, and by ‘a lot of things’ we mean illnesses and parts of our body that hurt. And heart disease is one of life’s serious threats that we shouldn’t dare to ignore.
Race. Yes, heart disease can be non-discriminatory in terms of sex. But research shows that there are more black women who are at risk of cardiovascular diseases than white women.
Heredity. There are some things that we are happy about inheriting from our parents. And we’re sure that heart disease isn’t one of those.
Health history. If you have had a bout with heart disease, you’re actually at risk of having another.
The second category of risk factors gives us the sense that we do have control of what our body and our selves become. Though we become a viable candidate through our genes, race, and age, women over 40 need to know that they are things that they do that put them at the frontline:
High blood cholesterol. You have this going up, you also propel your exposure towards heart disease and stroke.
High blood pressure. You know this as hypertension, and you know that it’s one of the heaviest contenders among other risk factors for stroke and heart disease.
Stress. High powered-women who have access to the priciest of gyms and do work out 6 days a week think the least of themselves when it comes to suffering from heart disease. But research shows that women who are overachievers and who still crave to achieve more are inviting heart disease to lunch. The culprit: Stress.
Inactivity. Sure you may be at your ideal weight but living a sedentary lifestyle is like lounging around with heart disease.
Overweight. Carrying fat that goes beyond what your body needs to carry is a drag, bogging you down like an excess luggage.
Diabetes. Women over 40 who need to deal with diabetes, among other things, have up to seven times the risk of cardiovascular diseases than those who don’t have to. While life with diabetes can be challenging, it is important that women understand that it can be managed and controlled with a daily infusion of insulin, diet, and exercise.
Smoking. Puffing cigarettes is like a VIP pass to heart disease. A deadlier combo: Taking cigarettes and being on pills.
Prevention
Fortunately, you are given the opportunity to just reverse the effects of everything you have done to your body and control what seemed to be, well, out of your control. Though age and genes are like the mountains that you need to overcome, knowing that there are little swamps that you can conquer gives women over 40 the confidence and just the push they need to take control of their health and lives.
Face reality. One of the most effective prevention techniques that women over 40 can accomplish right at this moment is to simply accept that they are at risk. Anyone who starts accepting responsibilities, whether for themselves or for others, essentially starts to face the reality that life isn’t that easy as we thought. As we grow old (Read: become mature), we encounter difficulties and hardships that naturally push us to not to be smiling every time. But it is during these times that we must strive for balance in our lives.
Put off the light. If you’re a smoker and can’t see the need to quit, hear this: Highlighting to women smokers that they are really sending their selves in the frontline of heart disease is an incentive strong enough to get them quitting the very next day. Worse, women smokers face greater risk of heart disease than men who puff the same amount of smoke everyday. Whenever women visit my office for vitamins and herbs that will help them loose weight or pull their cholesterol level down, I tell them, “Look, your slightly elevated cholesterol or being five pounds overweight will not kill you, but smoking will,” notes Dr. Sharonne Hayes.
Move. And we mean that because we care. Women who move in the form of exercise can pin down almost every reason why heart disease can take over their lives, notes cardiologist Elizabeth Ross, M.D. Exercise not only makes you feel and look good but improves your total cardiac conditioning. It lowers your blood sugar, pulls your blood pressure down to a safe level, and just erases stress. There’s no better prescription than that, says Ross.
Stay light. Another benefit that you can thank exercise for is when it comes to managing your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is like a battle half won against heart disease. Women who tend to move a lot tend to be at their safest and healthiest: Normal blood pressure and cholesterol and they are the last people you can think about when it comes to developing diabetes.
Know what is safe. Unless you know what your doctor can say about your health, you cannot be, in general, safe from illnesses and diseases. Lowering bad cholesterol and even blood pressure is not enough; you need to know the numbers that safe for you so you can help yourself when the experts can’t be around. A simple advice: Have a regular schedule of getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked. Your doctor is really your best ally in living a long, fulfilling life; keep him informed and stay on what he recommends and you can really see and feel the difference.
Do not trouble trouble. You think you’re safe from occupational stressors since you’re on staycation? Think again. The latest study that links stress and anxiety to heart disease sheds light on what most stay-at-home moms never thought before: Worrying about everyday nuisance do exposes you to heart disease. Doing household chores is healthy; worrying about not getting it done on time is another. All those negativities or just being anxious about a mismatched bedsheet pushes not only stress hormones beyond the normal level but also blood pressure and cholesterol as well.
Let it go. Sure it’s okay to wear your heart on your sleeves, but hanging a chip on your shoulder? Recent study concluded that women who often find themselves in the middle of fights and conflicts are exposed to heart disease by up to 34 percent. Another group that are writing an open invitation to heart disease: Those who stay mad. Studies show that women over 40 who harbor bitterness and linger on it are not only making it hard for themselves but especially for their hearts. Another compelling reason why bygones should be bygones.
Another not-so good attitude that you should rethink is being so skeptical. On the February 2008 issue of Glamour, Rebecca Skloot notes that women who just didn’t trust people are encouraging an elevated C-reactive protein, essentially a chemical that lights to indicate an inflammation in the heart. But skepticism and being distrustful are two instincts you can’t live without if you want to survive; in fact, being so trusting isn’t healthy either. Instead, strive to strike a balance. After all, it wouldn’t hurt if you give someone who’s asking a chance to prove themselves.
Don’t do it all. Women are guilty of being everyone to, well, everyone. Aside from the roles she play when she’s at home, women over 40 often feel that it is her responsibility to become the nurturing boss at her workplace, the ear to her friends, and the loving daughter to her parents. And some times being all these can be just overwhelming. If you think you can’t be all these at all times, then don’t. Don’t feel awful when you can’t cook a hearty dinner for your husband, call your daughter, or, if you can’t listen to the story of a colleague. It’s time that you become your person. When you ask the question, “What about me?,” everything will fall into their righteous place.
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