WASHINGTON 鈥� One of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones this month is the gift of good heart health.
If you’re a 20-something African American woman, you may think you’re too young to worry about heart health. Cardiologist Dr. Vikram Raya, of , says think again.
鈥淚 think at age 25 and above, we need to start saying, 鈥榟ey, look 鈥� I鈥檓 moving onto a different phase of my life, I need to know about my health,鈥欌�� Raya says.
That means getting screened, looking at your cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Also, signs of a heart attack or stroke may be different for a woman from those聽for a man.
鈥淢en 鈥� we all know the symptoms. The classic substernal chest pain, the elephant on the chest, the radiating to the arms 鈥�. Women, they actually present a little differently. They have shortness of breath, they have pain 鈥� instead of in the chest, it鈥檚 a little lower in the abdomen. They get sometimes dizzy, they feel like impending doom or some very high anxiety level,鈥� Raya says.
Raya says women sometimes write off those symptoms as the flu or menopause, and don鈥檛 realize it could be a heart attack.
Additionally, if your waist size is bigger than 35 inches, you could be putting yourself at a higher risk for heart disease. Raya explains that there are two types of belly fat.
鈥淵ou can be more apple-looking, or more pear-looking,鈥� he explains. 鈥淎nd if you鈥檙e more apple-looking, you鈥檙e at much higher risk.鈥�
Raya says central visceral belly fat secretes dangerous enzymes and chemical messengers, leading to increased inflammation.
Lifestyle changes can greatly improve your heart health.
If you’re seeking a diet that’s healthy and has variety, Raya says you may want to consider a Mediterranean diet.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very flexible, it鈥檚 very realistic to follow,鈥� he explains. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not restricted to just plants, or just meat 鈥� It鈥檚 a very diverse diet, tons of vegetables, tons of fruits.鈥�
Physical activity is also crucial to heart health.聽 Raya recommends聽150 minutes a week of moderate exercise.
