Womens Battle for Their Future:

Her Weapon of Choice is Her Heart

Many American women are unaware of the power they possess in determining their heart
health destiny, lying in wait of the approaching golden years. Conditions or habits, also known as
risk factors, can make a woman more vulnerable to develop a disease. As a result, lifestyle and
health factors influence a womens risk of heart disease. Certain risks, such as heredity and
ethnicity, are beyond a womens control and cannot be modified. In contrast, modifiable risks
that are controllable include: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking,
obesity, and being physically inactive. Women who focus and take positive steps to change these
modifiable risks have better odds of increasing their longevity.
Currently, over 43.8 million women in the United States, are living with some form of
cardiovascular disease or are at risk, consequently ranking heart disease as the leading cause of
death for women (National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, 2015). Furthermore, one in
three females, living in the United States, will die from cardiovascular disease (2015). The 2015
Americas Health Rankings Annual Report, released by the United Health Foundation and the
American Public Health Association, list the prevalence of four major preventable risk factors for
heart disease blood pressure, blood cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity all of which are on the
rise.
According to Jay Kaplan, PhD (2007), at the Wake Forest University Medical Center,
Women should be thinking about heart disease prevention before their risk factors increase as
they age. Subsequently, it is imperative health care providers identify and share heart risk factor
hurdles, and begin the collaboration process between themselves, the patient, and their families.
Women need to be aware of the heart risk factor enemies to devise a strategy and plan an attack.
The ability to know which risk factors are modifiable allows empowerment of health care
professionals, families, but most important, women who will be on the front lines.
According to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease (2015), studies show
one in three women will die of heart disease, and these deaths will impact people regardless of
their gender, age, ethnicity or income. This fact should be a wake-up call to champion a cause for
prevention, by promoting a campaign for womens heart health. Modifiable risk factors have
been identified and women need to know how the actions they can take to decrease their odds of
future heart disease. Although, the 2015 Americas Health Rankings Annual Report, by the
United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association, listed four major
preventable risk factors on the rise, during the past year, there is reason for hope. The 2015
Report showed smoking decreased in the adult population, dropping from 19% to 18.1%, also
declining was physical inactivity 25.3% to 22.6%. Drops in these two prevalent risk factors are
encouraging and give cause for hope that it is possible to achieve decreases in other risk factors
as well.
All women should know and be aware of the specific risk factors they face to increase
their chance to fight heart disease. The knowledge of knowing all the risks they face and

determining those which are modifiable, allows women to have the power to make proper
decisions and alter behavior now before it is too late. Health care providers and professionals,
with family member support can be instrumental in a womens success. Family support may
include healthy diet changes, daily exercise encouragement, assistance with meal preparation,
encouragement to quit smoking, or simple support and advice to make better lifestyle changes.
Researchers at Wake Forest University Medical Center (Kaplan) found evidence that factors,
such as stress, lack of physical activity, and poor diet could increase heart disease risk among
younger women which will only worsen as they enter menopause. This evidence emphasizes the
importance of a support system for women.
One last relevant heart risk factor that cannot be ignored, is one of the greatest known
risk to womens overall health: obesity. The Americans Health Ranking 2015 Report presents
compelling statistics of the increase in obesity throughout the United States which can Segway
into another heart disease risk factor diabetes. Many, but not all causes of obesity are
modifiable, and include poor diet, lack of physical activity, social and physical environment,
genetics and medical history. Studies have shown the prevalence of obesity is higher than
smoking, and this risk factor contributes to chronic conditions and overall poor physical health
(Sturm, 2001).
These eye opening statistics highlight the importance of educating women and the
public about the risk factors for heart disease and how to manage them, said Mary McGowan,
Chief Executive Officer, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
(Press Release, Dec. 10, 2015). With appropriate lifestyle changes, heart disease in the vast
majority of cases is preventable, she continued. We want all women to take charge of their
heart health by knowing their risk factors and adopting heart healthy habits, she concluded.
All women should be afforded the opportunity to increase their lives, by being made
aware of their heart disease risks and given a strategy of how to manage their heart health. Each
day that passes deprives women valuable time to make changes that could be lifesaving. A heart
healthy campaign collaborating with women approaching menopause, their families, physicians
and health care professionals could educate, support, train, and empower women to make the
necessary choices ensuring a longer, stronger, and healthier life is ahead. Right now there is a
need to empower 42 million women living with the risk of heart disease, preparing them for the
battle fight for their future.

References
Kaplan, J. (2007). Women Need to Start Thinking About Heart Disease Prevention before
Menopause. Medical News: Life Sciences and Medicine, June 26, 2007.
National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease (2015). Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet.
Retrieved January 21, 2016,
http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.womenheart.org/resource/resmgr/Docs/Women_and_Hear
t_Disease_FINA.pdf
National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease (2015). Press Release: Americas Health
Rankings 2015 Annual Report indicates that majority of preventable heart disease risk
factors are still on the rise. December 10, 2015.
Sturm, R. (2001). Does Obesity Contribute as Much to Morbidity as Poverty to Smoking? Public
Health. 115(3), p. 229.
United Health Foundation (2015). Americans Health Ranking 2015 Annual Report. Retrieved
January 21, 2016, http://www.americashealthrankings.org/reports/annual