H E A LT H

DA N I EL L E DALY.
 You r
HEART
IS IN

You r
H A N DS
Why wait for a sign that something
isn’t right with this MOST I M PORTANT
ORGA N before getting smart about
your heart? Here, five things you
can do to be proactive about your
cardiovascular health and L I V E A LO NG,
H E A LT H Y, A N D E N E R G E T IC L I F E.
B Y B E T H H O WA R D

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Second, shift your eating to include

more fruits, veggies, and lean protein
and far less saturated fat and processed
foods (check out the Mediterranean
diet or the DASH diet). Third, talk
to your doctor about whether your
weight puts you at risk, as carrying
too much extra weight may increase
your risk of heart problems. Beyond
those basics, here are ways to get on
top of your heart health today.
If you’ve heard that heart disease is
the leading cause of death for women,
you’re ahead of the game—fewer
Know your
women today know that than did a numbers
decade ago, data shows. Unfortunately, Four measurements are especially
that knowledge gap prevents many critical to cardiovascular health. Under-
women from taking the steps they need standing why they are important is just
to live their best lives, says Sharonne as significant as knowing the healthy
N. Hayes, M.D., a cardiologist and the range for each one. That’s because you
founder of the Women’s Heart Clinic can improve each factor by making life-
at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. style changes and possibly taking meds.
“They may live with chronic chest
CHOLESTEROL:
pain or heart failure, or need lots of
procedures and medications because When you have too much of the “bad”
of heart damage,” she says. And of type of cholesterol (LDL), fatty deposits
course there’s the risk of death from can collect in your blood vessels,
a heart attack or a stroke. eventually making it tough for blood
But here’s the empowering part: to flow; the deposits can also break off
There’s a lot you can do to keep your and cause a stroke or a heart attack.
heart strong for the rest of your life. Ideal range for healthy people with-
First, if you smoke, do everything you out atherosclerosis: Total cholesterol:
can to quit—it’s the most powerful way under 200; LDL: under 100; HDL: 60 or
to prevent heart disease, says Dr. Hayes. higher; triglycerides: under 150

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LIPOPROTEI N(A): FASTING BLOOD SUGAR:

High lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), in your Having high blood sugar levels (such as
blood is an independent risk factor with diabetes) can eventually damage
for heart disease that runs in families. the blood vessels in your heart, which
“You ought to have at least one Lp(a) raises your risk of cardiovascular dis-
assessment as an adult,” Dr. Hayes ease. It also ups the chance that you’ll
says. If your levels are off, she adds, develop problems with both choles-
let your siblings and adult children terol and blood pressure—
know so they can get tested as well. a triple whammy of risk.
Ideal range: Less than Ideal range:
30 mg/dL (or <75 nmol/L) 100 mg/dL.
If you have
diabetes, aim
for an A1C level
of less than 7%.

DAN SAELINGE R/ TRUNK ARCHIVE.

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BLOOD PRESSURE: your life that you can get rid of or
If the force with which blood flows minimize to lower your stress levels,
through blood vessels is chronically do so,” says Dr. Hayes.
high, this can eventually damage That said, some stress is inevitable,
those vessels and lead to a number so it’s also important to tame your
of serious cardiovascular issues. body’s response to stress, Dr. Hayes
says. Learning the first signs of stress
Ideal range: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
can help you defang it: Maybe you
clench your teeth or take shallower
Sleep tight breaths; when you notice that
happening, ask yourself why you’re
Your heart’s health depends on tense in that moment and try to
your sleep habits to a surprising degree, relax and breathe slowly and deeply.
says Dr. Hayes. Research shows that
poor sleep can contribute to obesity,
high blood pressure, and diabetes— Consider
all major risk factors for heart disease. your health
The ideal amount for adults is seven to
nine hours per night.
history and
It’s wise to turn in early too. A large life stage
study of people ages 43 to 74 found Autoimmune diseases like lupus
that those who fell asleep between and rheumatoid arthritis, radiation
10 p.m. and 11 p.m. had the lowest risk treatment for breast cancer, and
of heart disease. People who went to depression all up the risk of heart
sleep between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. disease. Menopause raises the risk
saw their risk rise by 12%, and those too, because the production of
who hit the sheets after midnight had estrogen (a heart protector) declines.
a 25% greater risk. You may be surprised to discover
that pregnancy complications—even
if you had them decades ago—also
Off load boost your chances of developing
any stressors heart problems later in life. These
include hypertension or diabetes
you can during pregnancy, preeclampsia,
Stress is associated with an increased eclampsia, delivering a baby that’s
risk of diabetes and high blood pressure small for its gestational age, and
and promotes inflammation; all those preterm delivery. “Be sure to let
can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascu- your doctor know if you’ve experi-
lar disease. “If there’s something in enced any of these,” says Dr. Hayes.

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Move more can throw in two or three bouts of

Exercise is powerful medicine high-intensity training a week, it’s even
for your heart: It lowers blood pres- better for cardiovascular health,” says
sure, raises the good kind of cholesterol Dr. Hayes. Add a couple of sessions a
(HDL), slows your heart rate over time, week of strength work, like resistance
and does lots of other beneficial things. or weight training, suggests the Amer-
Guidelines call for 150 to 300 minutes ican Heart Association. If you’ve been
of moderately intense exercise (running, sedentary, start small and build from
cycling, power walking) per week. there. “Any kind of movement is better
In this case, more is more. “If you than no exercise at all,” Dr. Hayes says.

W H AT A H E A R T AT TA C K F E E L S L I K E
During a heart attack, three- weakness or pain weeks or months
quarters of people of all genders before the event. So think back,
experience chest pain, tightness, and pay attention to your Spidey
or heaviness. But women often sense when you feel as if some-
have additional symptoms— thing is wrong, says Dr. Krumholz.
nausea, sweating, a feeling of
being unwell, or fatigue. You
could mistake these atypical
signs for a panic attack, chronic
stress, or sleeplessness. “Heart
attack is a great mimic,” says
Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D.,
a cardiologist and health care
researcher at Yale University, who
authored a study on this issue.
Research shows that 85% of
women 55 and younger
who have had heart
attacks experienced other
symptoms: sleep disturbances,
unusual fatigue, anxiety, or arm
GE T T Y I M AGES .

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