In 2011, Noel Bairey Merz, gave a TedTalk about her 15 years of research involving the study of women and heart disease. It turns out that heart disease affects women more than men.
Since 1984, four times as many women have die of heart disease compared to men.
While most people believe heart disease a predominantly male health problem, studies show heart disease affects women more than men.
Findings about heart disease
Merz found it was easier to treat men for heart disease and heart attacks than women because their symptoms are generally the same each time, and women’s differ. Men store their fat in one place, whereas women store theirs throughout their body making it more difficult to see the problems and offer treatment.
Because there are more than 50 years of studies relating to men’s heart disease, doctors can easily pinpoint on an angiogram where the blockage is. Women’s heart disease research is 35 years behind and is trying to catch up. That’s why people typically think of heart disease as a “man’s disease”.
Merz did realize using an MRI instead of a CAT scan or x-ray works well to diagnose women and see where the blockage lies. However, because women’s symptoms are not as recognizable and often passed off as a different issue, women die in higher numbers from heart disease than men.
The ultimate breakthrough Merz and her team discovered is in stem cell therapy. They found women’s stem cells are far more powerful than men’s, even when placed in a man’s body. Theoretically, women should live longer than men, but are simply being overlooked on the medical front in regards to heart disease.
The research Merz and others like her are performing could soon diminish heart disease fatalities in women. They are already curving the deaths of women with heart disease. The future holds a lot of promise for women’s heart disease.
Improving Heart Health
Since heart disease is the top cause of death in the world, it is likely that you will know someone that will experience this in their life. However, there are some powerful things you can do to improve your heart health and that of loved ones.
Be Active
Since the heart is a muscle, exercising will make it stronger just like it would with any muscle. Determine your target heart rate and find exercise activities that you can do in the long term.
After all, there’s no point in jogging if you hate it, because it’s likely that you’ll just give it up soon after. Instead, find a sport or activity that you’ll enjoy doing day after day.
Quit Smoking/Vaping
Smoking, whether through the usual tobacco products or vaping, damages your arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. If you don’t smoke, don’t start; if you do smoke, find ways to quit smoking and make it stick.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Eating healthy and participating in regular exercise activities will help you lose weight. However, it is also a personal journey where you find what works for you.
For example, if you hardly eat vegetables, chances are high that adopting a completely vegetarian diet right away may not work in the long run. Instead, find a gradual way to adopt healthy habits that will become a part of your life.
Eat Healthy
Yes, while completely dropping your fast food meals right away may not work for you, that doesn’t mean you should not aim to eat healthy. There are plenty of healthy foods that are delicious, such as salmon and avocados, that you can incorporate into your current diet.
As time progresses, your goal should be to effectively transition into healthier dishes. The internet is full of suggestions for healthy alternatives to everyday food.
Whatever methods you adopt, it’s important to make goals for healthier living that will positively impact you in the long term. To read more about how heart disease affects women, click here or watch the video below! And if you want to try a supplement that will support your heart health, try L-arginine Plus (learn more here).