Women and Heart Health

How significant is good heart health for women? “More women die from heart disease than from the next five reasons combined,” says Tim Zellers, Assistant Vice President of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Services at Lancaster General.

“Although eight million women today are living with heart disease, women often diminish the importance of heart health because they typically don’t experience heart problems until later in life when compared to men,” Zellers says. Women need to understand the significance of this risk and focus on prevention now versus waiting until they have suffered their first heart attack.

Women can do three key things to reduce their chances of getting heart disease:

• 1. Stop smoking. Non-smokers are at a significantly lower risk of contracting heart disease. The Freedom from Smoking program, sponsored by Lancaster General and the American Lung Association, is one way to quit smoking for good.
• 2. Exercise regularly. It doesn’t have to be two hours a day at the gym. Even walking for 30 minutes on most days of the week is an effective workout.
• 3. Eat a heart-healthy diet. Eating a well-balanced, low fat and low cholesterol diet is important in maintaining a healthy heart.

Regular check-ups with your doctor to monitor blood pressure and check cholesterol can help detect warning signs before they become a problem.

Lancaster General provides a heart health screening tool you can use to assess your risk level. Answering a few questions about your lifestyle and family history can help you determine if you are at high risk. If so, you can discuss your concerns with your doctor.

You can find out more about “Women & Heart Disease” on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Hempfield High School Auditorium. Dr. Victor McGlaughlin, Landisville Family Health Center, and Dr. Melissa McKernan, The Heart Group, will talk about ways to prevent, detect and treat heart problems among women. The program is part of Lancaster General’s ongoing free Focus on Health series.