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Manage Yourself
The following information is intended to help you understand in more detail how certain factors can affect your chances for heart disease, and how to help control them.
Smoking Cessation
If you're concerned about your heart health, it's time to quit smoking. According to the American Heart Association, cigarettes are the leading cause of preventable deaths in this country. Surprisingly, out of the women who smoke in the United States, almost as many die from heart disease as from lung cancer. Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke. Women smokers are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack as non-smoking women, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. Find a program that will make it possible for you to quit smoking.
Stress Management
Everyone feels stress. Responsibilities associated with work, family, and the larger community combine to render our population the most "stressed out" in recent history. The good news is that if you are feeling stress, there are ways you can reduce it, thus reducing your risk for heart disease. Consult your doctor to find out more.
Healthy Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to your future health, and your weight is an important part of this. Overweight women are much more likely to develop heart-related problems, even if they have no other risk factors. A long-term study showed that even a modest weight gain of 11 to 17 pounds after age 18 significantly increases a woman's risk of coronary heart disease. Good nutrition and proper exercise are also important in maintaining a healthy heart. As little as 30 minutes of moderate activity on most, and preferably all, days is recommended. Find an exercise program that works best for you.
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