Women with heart risk | Harvard Gazette

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States, deadlier than all forms of cancer combined. To make matters worse, in women the symptoms of cardiovascular disease may present differently than in men, and both treatments and risk factors may differ as well. The good news is that up to 90 percent of heart disease may be preventable, and that research into the unique risks and treatments faced by women has begun.

 

Treating these risk factors is a major first step. “Heredity is not destiny when it comes to cardiovascular disease,” said Manson. Instead, behavioral changes, including diet and even moderate exercise, can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. Although the effects of poor diet or exercise habits increase as we age, the opposite is true as well, as small changes have even greater benefits.

 

“Women in their 60s or 70s, when heart disease rates go up, can really make a lot of progress in preventing heart disease and stroke by diet and by healthy lifestyle,” said Sacks. (These changes may also help prevent dementia.)

via Women with heart risk | Harvard Gazette.

 

Heredity is not destiny when it comes to cardiovascular disease.

Studies showi that psychosocial factors in addition to being an independent risk factor, also impact a numbers of other CHD risk  factors such as: inactivity, poor diet, smoking, blood pressure, excessive alcohol, etc. We can learn to manage these psychosocial risk factors using mind body techniques.
A simple 1-minute mindfulness exercise to reduce stress and your risk for a heart attack or heart disease.