Your Heart Health: 4 Things Every Woman Should Know

There’s a good case to be made for the fact that your heart health lies at the center of your overall health. This means that issues often cross over — your heart health can affect your reproductive health, and vice versa.

Because February is American Heart Month, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team here at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley thought it would be an excellent time to review a few key points when it comes to women, their hearts, and their reproductive health. 

1. Women and cardiovascular disease

The numbers surrounding women and cardiovascular disease are concerning, to say the least. The CDC reports that more than 60 million women (44%) in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease.

These numbers drive the following statistic: heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, claiming even more lives than breast cancer.

We present these numbers to give you an idea of the landscape of women’s heart health.

2. High blood pressure and pregnancy

Nearly half of adults in the US have high blood pressure, and this condition in pregnant women can be problematic. 

First, preexisting hypertension can lead to a higher risk of preeclampsia, a condition that affects 5% to 7% of pregnancies. With preeclampsia, pregnant mothers develop dangerously high blood pressure that can lead to organ failure and stroke.

Second, having high blood pressure during pregnancy raises your risk for pre-term delivery.

Third, developing hypertension during a pregnancy can lead to more chronic blood pressure issues afterward.

As experts in high-risk obstetrics, we often work with women before, during, and after pregnancy to help them maintain healthy blood pressure.

3. Heart health and menopause

Your reproductive hormones cast a much wider net than you might know, and this net includes your heart health. For example, estrogen hormones promote epithelial health (the linings of your blood vessels) and help regulate cholesterol levels.

So, when women pass through menopause, and the levels of these hormones suddenly drop, it can have an impact on their cardiovascular health.

Going in the other direction, a recent study has found that “Estrogen-based hormone therapies have favorable long-term effects on the risk of heart disease.”

So, if you’re transitioning through menopause, you might consider hormone therapy to not only get rid of pesky hot flashes and troublesome vaginal dryness, but to support your heart health, too.

4. Diet and exercise matter

In a world where everyone wants the following hack, the reality is that improving your heart and overall health, including your reproductive health, boils down to better lifestyle habits: a healthy diet and ample exercise.

Yes, GLP-1 medications have been a revolution for people wanting to lose weight, but millions of people put the pounds right back on when they stop taking the drugs. We find that these drugs are helpful and can help you get started, but the more sustainable path is to make sure you’re eating healthy foods and getting 30-60 minutes of exercise each day.

These efforts are the two most significant steps you can take to promote better heart health, and they can also support better reproductive health and help prevent issues like polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine fibroids, both of which list obesity as a major risk factor.

If you have any questions about your heart health or you’d like to learn more about what we’ve reviewed here, we’re happy to help. To meet with one of our specialists, please contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, to schedule an appointment.