• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write for Australian Women Online
  • Advertise With Us
  • Horoscopes
  • Style
  • Shoe Boutique
  • eFashion
  • Weight Watchers Australia

Australian Women Online

Business, career, health and lifestyle content for women

  • Home
  • BLOG
  • BOOKS
  • BUSINESS
  • CAREER
  • COOKING
  • HEALTH
  • LIFESTYLE
    • Automotive
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Pets
    • Relationships
    • Your Home
    • Your Money
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • TRAVEL
    • Discount Holidays
You are here: Home / HEALTH / Heart felt plea to midlife women: know your heart numbers

Heart felt plea to midlife women: know your heart numbers

6 May 2008 by Australian Women Online

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

With cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke) a leading cause of death for women and men, the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health is urging women to check their heart risk and know their ‘heart numbers’.

Recent Australian research shows that: Very few women think about heart disease as being a health risk to them. In fact around 40 per cent of female deaths are related to heart disease. Australian women are 1.7 times more likely to die from heart failure than men. This is despite the fact that men are more likely to die at a younger age.

“When it comes to heart health, it’s vital for women at midlife and beyond to know their blood pressure, cholestesterol and blood sugar levels,” says research director Professor Helena Teede.

“See your GP to find out your risk because managing your risk factors can make a significant difference. And if you are aged between 45 and 49 you are entitled to a health check as part of the Australian Better Health Initiative,” she said.

There are differences between what men and women experience in terms of symptoms. Men may feel tightness in the chest, arm pain and shortness of breath, whereas women may experience some of these symptoms, but may also be accompanied by more vague signs including nausea, overwhelming fatigue and dizziness.

“These symptoms can have many other causes, so heart disease is often not uppermost in the minds of women or their health practitioners,” Professor Teede says.

Given the gender differences in the diagnosis of heart disease it is important for general practitioners and women to be aware of these differences and work together to ensure early intervention in women with possible heart disease symptoms.

“Women tend to develop heart disease later in life than men, with hormones appearing to protect the heart prior to menopause,” says Professor Teede.

The latest research from the US-based Women’s Health Study shows that increased levels of exercise can reduce, although not eliminate the risk of heart disease, even in women who remain overweight. According to Professor Teede, 90 per cent of our risk of heart disease is related to how we live our daily lives and that regular physical activity is very beneficial in preventing heart attack and stroke.

“We know that just five per cent weight loss has a significant improvement in health. Even small changes in risk factors for heart disease and stroke can make a difference,” she says. “Not eating one biscuit each day can save you putting on nearly a kilo over a year.”

A five per cent weight loss for an 80-90kg woman is just 4-4.5kg. “Try losing just one kilo a month and you can achieve this over 4-5 months.”

Professor Teede lists five ways women can reduce their risk of developing heart disease:

  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Ensure moderate alcohol intake
  • Be physically active every day
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Don’t smoke

To find out more information and practical tips about healthy eating, alcohol intake and physical activity log on to www.jeanhailes.org.au

Further heart health information is available from the National Heart Foundation on 1300 36 27 87.

You May Also Like:

Filed Under: HEALTH

Ads by Google
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

New Content

  • Why Online Casinos Are Becoming a Favourite Pastime for Modern Women
  • Is 2025’s Ford Maverick the Ideal Urban Truck?
  • Australian Lifestyle: The Rise of High-End Condo Communities
  • Off-Road Driving: 10 Amazing Trails in the US to Explore
  • Your Guide to Buy DMT or Magic Mushrooms Online in Australia
  • How to Become a Trusted Home Care Provider in Australia (and Simplify Your Operations in 2025)
  • Empowering Women Through Fashion Entrepreneurship: How Custom Caps Become Catalysts for Change
  • How to Ladder Your Term Deposits for Maximum Flexibility & Returns
  • Women in Wagering: How the Industry is Finally Tapping Female Players
  • Demolition Safety: 10 Essential Safety Tips and Guidelines

Popular Content

  • Moore Weekly Stars
  • French Connection Faux Fur Shawl
  • Romance Was Born When Doves Cry Ruffle Blouse
  • Alannah Hill Change Me Up Dress
  • Claire Tynan, CEO of TMI Pacific talks about truth in advertising
  • Are you taking resveratrol supplement? Get to know the benefits
  • Australian Lifestyle: The Rise of High-End Condo Communities
  • Alice McCall Striped Knit Dress
  • Sexy and Stylish Short Hairstyles for Women Over 60
  • Alice McCall Bluesy Flared Jeans

Australian Women Online © Copyright 2007 - 2025 Deborah Robinson ABN 38 119 171 979 · All Rights Reserved