First, don't smoke, or quit now. Smoking increases your risk of stroke, heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Ever had a leg cramp? If you have heart disease, you might possibly look forward to getting one every time you try to walk a single block!
There are no loopholes here: Any smoking is bad smoking. According to a 2004 Surgeon General's report, women under age 44, who smoked even 1 to 5 cigarettes per day, boosted their risk of a heart attack by 2.5 times.
Second, exercise. The goal here isn't necessarily to lose weight, although that is a nice added bonus. Aerobic exercise that gets the heart pumping helps to improve that organ's ability to contract, giving it additional strength to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
Over time, the slower resting heart rate that results from regular exercise reflects a healthy heart that will pump many more times in the future. Any exercise will do, as long as it gets your heart pumping. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Third, know your resting blood pressure. I've had lots of women tell me, "I have low blood pressure. Is that bad?" Not at all. The truth is, the lower the better! Well, as long as you're not passing out.
Higher blood pressure strains your blood vessels causing them to grow stiffer and increases your risk of all the things listed above, while it also damages your kidneys to boot. Hypertension is actually the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and the need for hemodialysis. With that in mind, get your blood pressure checked and, if it is over 125/85, seek treatment.
Fourth, know your cholesterol. I've met a few women who were inappropriately counseled about high total cholesterol, even though the reason for their high total was an extremely high HDL (good) cholesterol component. HDL acts as a scavenger, helping to gather free fats in the blood and bring them to the liver for disposal.
HDL is actually so protective against having a heart attack that lower HDL levels are associated with an increased risk of heart attacks. Conversely, levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol must be kept low - if your LDL is over 130, then strive for a heart-healthy diet and increase your exercise. If it is persistently high, consider taking a cholesterol-lowering medication.
Last, get screened for diabetes. Among its many detrimental health effects, diabetes greatly increases the risk of heart disease. Screening for diabetes is done with a simple blood sugar test performed after fasting and can be completed at the same time as your cholesterol test.
Or you can have a drop of blood (from a finger stick) checked for glucose at your doctor's office. Diabetes screening is generally recommended annually for people who:
- are age 40 and above
- are obese
- have a strong family history
- are excessively thirsty and urinate frequently and voluminously
