Did you know that over the next 25 years, the number of women who will have cardiovascular disease is on a sharp incline? 60% of women in the United States might live with high blood pressure by 2050. The percentage has risen since the previously reported 5 in 10 in 2020, according to the new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. The statistics speak for themselves: close to a third of women ages 20-44 will have some form of cardiovascular disease compared to the current rate of 1 in 4 women.
Risk Factors
Factors like high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are the main contributors to cardiovascular disease. Other factors are an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, use of tobacco, and excessive alcohol. All of these factors are on the rise, which increases the risk for heart conditions.
While a heavy focus is placed on the person’s choices, government and policymakers have an important role in making sure people have access to the resources they need to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes clean air, healthy, affordable food, and areas that encourage physical activity. These individuals need to create health policies that ensure people have healthy choices that are accessible and affordable, which are vital for people to have the motivation to maintain and adopt a healthier life.
Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
The American Heart Association defines optimal health through their “Life’s Essential 8”: 4 health behaviors (eating better, more active lifestyle, quitting tobacco, and getting a good amount of sleep) and 4 health factors (managing one’s weight, controlling cholesterol levels, managing blood sugar and blood pressure).
A way to achieve optimal health is starting with a healthy diet. Healthy diets should include unprocessed and fresh foods, including fruit and vegetables (5 portions a day is ideal), whole grains, nuts and foods that are low in saturated fats, sugars and salt. It’s also recommended to have 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 5 days a week, to improve and maintain one’s health. Another tip is to avoid smoking as much as one can, as exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk for heart attack.
To control and determine the risk of cardiovascular disease, it’s imperative to check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels consistently. If you do have a higher risk of developing heart disease or stroke, you might need to take medication to reduce your risk. This can include statins that lower blood cholesterol levels, low-dose aspirin to prevent blood clots, insulin for diabetes and tablets to reduce blood pressure.
Weight Loss Drugs
Research has shown that weight loss drugs can help lower the risk of recurring heart attacks and recurring episodes of heart failure. Dr. Stacey Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health at Northwell Health in New York City, says that the impact of these weight loss drugs on cardiovascular disease is not certain, as the long-term safety of them still has to be studied. Research has also proven that many people are stopping these drugs because of less-than-ideal side effects and end up regaining the weight that they lost.
Norrina Bai Allen, an epidemiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease who is director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, states, “Not all communities can afford the out-of-pocket expenses for GLP-1s, and unfortunately, we may see a widening of disparities in cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes.” What’s important is that woman can start now to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease.
It’s never too early or too late to start taking preventative measures towards your health. Most of our risk for cardiovascular disease is preventable, and it all starts with being aware. Are you going to get your numbers checked? Let us know in the comments!
