Heart and Vascular Disease: Prevention Tips

Risk Factors You Might Not Know About

By gender:

• Males are at greater risk of heart attack than females and they have them earlier in life.
• Though their heart attack risk is lower, women are twice as likely as men to die after a heart attack, partly because they tend to be older when the incident occurs.
• More women than men have died from heart disease in the United States every year since 1984. Women are more likely than men to be hospitalized for what's called "non-specific" chest pain, the term used when doctors can't find a cause.

By racial or ethnic group:

• African-Americans, particularly females, have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease than Caucasians.
• American Indians have the fastest growing incidence of heart disease of any racial or ethnic group in the United States.
• Mexican-Americans, native Hawaiians and some Asian-Americans are at increased risk of heart disease, partly due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes.

Know the Top 5 Heart Attack Warning Signs

• Chest discomfort, such as pain, pressure, squeezing or fullness in the center of your chest, lasting more than a few minutes or going away and then coming back
• Discomfort elsewhere in the upper body, such as in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

Note: While the most common symptom among both sexes is chest discomfort, women suffering a heart attack are more likely than men to experience nausea, shortness of breath and back or jaw pain.

Take Control of Your Health

To prevent a heart attack:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Engage in physical activity every day
• Limit alcohol
• Lower blood pressure to less than 120/80 mmHg
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Manage diabetes (diabetics are two to four times more likely than non-diabetics to develop cardiovascular disease)
• Reduce blood cholesterol to less than 200 mg/dL
• Reduce stress
• Stop smoking

Modify Your Lifestyle

Exercise (Age 18 to 65)

• 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking, five days a week.
• 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging, three days a week.
• Light exercise as part your daily routine. Take the stairs, do yard work or walk around while on the phone.

Diet

• Add more fiber to your diet (25 to 30 grams per day) by eating raw vegetables and fruits, whole grains and beans.
• Consume lean meats and poultry and remove the skin.
• Consume less than 6 grams of salt per day.
• Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or "trans fats," such as hard margarine and shortening, and most baked goods.
• Eat at least two servings of fish per week.
• Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women and two drinks for men.
• Switch from whole-fat to low-fat or non-fat dairy products.

Monitor Your Health

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar levels
• Cholesterol levels (Total, HDL, LDL and triglycerides)
• Waist circumference – a man with a waist of more than 40 inches or a woman with a waist of more than 35 inches are considered high-risk

Note: With the exception of BMI and waist measurement, these tests should be performed by a doctor or under a doctor's supervision. Online risk-assessment tools and at-home health tests should not replace regular medical care.

Other Resources

• American Heart Association
• MedlinePlus: Heart Diseases, U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health