"The HEART is the first feature of working minds."
- Frank Lloyd Wright
Do you know Cardiovascular disease is the #1 Killer in Women?
Most women say that they think that they are more likely to succumb to breast cancer than a heart attack or stroke. The most recent study done showed that 85 % of women think they are more likely to die from breast cancer than stroke or heart attack. However, this has been shown for years to be completely wrong.
Women are more likely to not only have a cardiovascular event but have a 6 times higher risk then men of dying from heart disease. Women are more likely to receive poorer preventative treatments for cholesterol and other risk factors, and least likely to have the necessary interventions after an event to prevent others.
This lead Dr. Preston to explore more aggressive and preventative measures to prevent CV disease in women. Recent studies show that in regards to women, preventing cardiovascular disease has better outcomes than treating after an event and many of these interventions can decrease your risks . Dr. Preston combines the most comprehensive knowledge of laboratory diagnosis, her experienced understanding of hormones and stress, with traditional holistic treatments to achieve better and more permanent results than conventional treatments.
Hormones and Heart Health in Women
written by Dr Cynthia Preston
When most people think of cardiovascular disease, most of us think of old men who haven't given up steak and potatoes. A 2003 American Heart Association study of more than 1,000 women showed a mere 13 percent of women in America believe that heart disease and stroke are the greatest health threat to women. However, the most recent studies show that this is completely wrong. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, and the risks are more than COPD, Lung cancer, and breast cancer combined. So how do we change these stats? Through understanding the importance of preventative management, and understanding the unique role of diet and hormones in Heart disease, women can begin to understand and find drug free interventions to lower their risks.
Cardiovascular disease is any of a number of specific diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. Known or associated causes of cardiovascular disease include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia and hypercholesterolemia. Other forms of cardiovascular disease include ischemic heart disease characterized by reduced blood supply to the organs, congestive heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, and inflammatory heart disease.
Most doctors don't view women as susceptible to heart disease, and therefore doctors are less likely to recommend drug or diet intervention. Not only does under-treatment and bad lipid management in women contribute to these numbers, but the adverse outcomes from surgeries or bypass accounts for these increased risks. Because heart disease is more likely to occur after age 60 in women, they are older when they undergo surgery and are less likely to survive or react positively to this stress on their bodies.
Metabolic syndrome and diabetes are risk factors for both men and women. However, a woman with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or a waist circumference greater than 35 inches, your risk is doubled as compared to men with these same factors. Hereditary and dietary influences are the strongest in promoting these diseases. A diet, called the Mediterranean diet, has shown to lower both these and cardiovascular disease. This is a diet high in good fats usually found in fish and nuts, vegetables, and whole grains. Adopting this lifestyle assures healthy cell communication, elimination of toxic hormones, and blood sugar stabilization.
Hormones may dictate heart disease and stroke risk. It is not until menopause, that we see the above mentioned cardiovascular risks increase and become the same as men. This has lead a movement into the role of hormones on inflammation and cardiovascular disease promotion. Estrogen is protective for most of our adult lives. Estrogen has shown to lower LDL or bad cholesterol, increase the chemical that relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, and decrease platelet stickiness, thus decreasing your chance of clotting and atherosclerosis. After age 50, when most women start menopause, the risk range narrows and increases significantly until 65 where an event is primarily to occur in women.
For more on this article or questions, you can contact Dr Preston at Balance In Motion.
Dr. Preston is a licensed naturopathic doctor practicing at Balance In Motion. She specializes in women's health and endocrinology. She utilizes a variety of natural treatments including, medical nutrition, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement therapy, and herbal medicine that eliminate dis-ease and not just symptoms.
