A Woman’s Heart

Many college students do not really think about their health all that much, especially the health of their heart. Being heart healthy is very important even during college years. Heart disease is the number one killer of women over the age of 25. So this does include lots of us college students. I feel that it is very important to inform women, even young women, that heart disease is serious and not just in men. About one of every 2.5 women dies of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. That is pretty scary! But luckily, there are ways to have better heart health. According to the American Heart Association, there are five tips that can help a woman be heart healthy. First, make yearly visits to your doctor to evaluate your risk factors. Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels checked. And ask your doctor what can help you reach and maintain your healthiest weight. Second, kick smoking in the butt! Smoking is extremely harmful to your entire body. There are many ways to help you quit smoking if you do, like support groups or begin cutting back on how much you smoke daily until you no longer do. Third, get plenty of exercise. I’m sure this isn’t a problem with many of us Western students considering the trek we make daily up and down the hill. Fourth, eat less calories and exercise at least 30 minutes on five or more days a week. And fifth, keep track of your exercising, losing weight, or quitting smoking. By doing this when you reach your goal you can reward yourself by doing something you enjoy and you know that you deserve.
Some women are more at risk than others for heart disease. Race is a factor. African-American and Hispanic women have higher heart disease than a Caucasian woman. Another factor is aging. Older women who have heart attacks are more likely to die from them than men. Although this may be true, remember younger women are at risk for heart disease if they have high blood pressure, smoke, have high cholesterol, are physically inactive, who are overweight, and/or women who have diabetes. Another major risk factor is your family history of heart disease. You can do so much to protect yourself now while you are young and can make a huge difference in your health. The American Heart Association has free programs that can help to reduce your risk for heart disease. They include: Choose to Move and the Go Red for Women movement. These programs can be accessed by visiting americanheart.org or by calling 1-888-MY-HEART.

Suzanne Williams
Junior from Greenville, KY
270-543-9663
A Woman’s Heart