More young women are getting heart attacks — here's why

Why do young women get heart disease?

Heart disease is the number one killer among women and in recent years, there has been more awareness around the issue, especially with initiatives like Go Red For Women.

Coronary heart disease is often seen as something that affects middle-age or older women, yet more young women than ever before are at risk and they have no idea, experts say.

“Heart disease is not even on the radar screen of young women,” said Dr. Holly S. Andersen, a cardiologist in New York City and director of education and outreach for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute and Scientific Advisor for the Women’s Heart Alliance.

Andersen said that in women between ages 29 and 45, both heart disease and stroke are on the rise.

Although it’s not clear why there has been an uptick, experts say it likely has a lot to do with the fact that risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are also increasing.

Most people with obesity also have insulin resistance, a syndrome that leads to pre-diabetes, diabetes and coronary heart disease, said Dr. Steven R. Gundry, a cardiologist in Palm Springs, California.

Not surprisingly, an unhealthy diet plays a role, especially one that includes too much meat, sugar and processed, packaged foods.

Antibiotics found in meat, pesticides and gluten all alter the body’s microbiome and healthy gut bacteria and in turn can lead to heart disease. In fact, there is a clear link between environmental toxins such as dioxins, PCBs, and pesticides to atherosclerosis, according to a 2011 study out of Sweden.

“Women have been taught that estrogen protects them from heart disease, but that’s just simply not the case anymore,” Gundry said.

Stress may also play a role in heart disease risk and millennials, Generation Xers and women are the most stressed, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

Pregnancy and childbirth also put a lot of stress on the body, because women have extra blood volume and a higher risk for blood clots.  

Another condition that’s common in the postpartum period and happens almost exclusively in women is spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which causes an artery to tear and can lead to a heart attack, Andersen said.

Women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, are all at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.

Know the signs.

The symptoms of a heart attack often look different in women than in men.

Although women often experience chest pain, 40 percent of those who have a heart attack do not. Pain in the back, arm or jaw can also be signs.

Women may also have shortness of breath, indigestion, sweating, experience an overwhelming sense of doom or simply feel different.

“Most women know that something is wrong,” Andersen said.

Since most women are used to putting everyone else before themselves, they may brush off their symptoms as something else, neglect to call their doctors or go to the emergency room.  

“All too often…women don’t call 9-1-1, they don’t act. And they often have more damage than they should or they die,” Andersen said. “Even women who believe they’re having heart attacks are not as likely to act and that’s a mistake.”

What women need to know

Experts agree that when it comes to heart disease, prevention is key because “80 percent of this disease is preventable,” Andersen said.

All women should keep track of their family histories and talk to their doctors about their risk for a heart attack. Screening tools like the coronary calcium scan and the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) test are available, although they’re not covered by insurance.

Of course, a healthy diet, regular exercise, sleep and stress reduction are all important too.  

e future is still unknown. Her doctors are currently trying to find out why she had a heart attack, especially because she doesn’t have any of the traditional risk factors.

As she continues her journey to optimal health, Wayne is committed to raising awareness about heart disease in young women. She wants to motivate women to put their health first and avoid talking themselves out of how they feel, even when they know in their gut something is wrong.

Obesity strongly linked to 11 types of cancer

People who are obese have a greater risk of developing and dying from several types of cancer including malignancies of the breast, ovary, kidney, pancreas, colon, rectum and bone marrow, a research review confirms.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled over the past generation. Even though excess weight is thought to influence the odds of developing and dying from a wide variety of tumors, the study found "strong evidence" supporting this connection for just 11 cancers.

"Other associations could also be genuine, but there is still substantial uncertainty about them," lead study author Dr. Maria Kyrgiou of Imperial College London said by email.

Globally, 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, according to the World Health Organization. Roughly four in 10 adults are overweight, and more than one in 10 are obese, a condition that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems and joint disorders in addition to certain cancers.

For the current study, researchers analyzed results from 204 previously published studies exploring the connection between obesity, weight gain, waist circumference and 36 different cancers.

Researchers looked in particular for evidence that the previous results might have exaggerated the link between obesity and cancer or found a connection that was too small to rule out the possibility that it was due to chance.

They found the strongest links were between obesity and malignancies of the digestive organs and for hormone-related tumors in women, according to the report in The BMJ.

When researchers looked at what's known as body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height, they found increases in BMI tied to a higher risk of developing cancers in the esophagus, bone marrow, biliary tract system, pancreas and kidney. Upticks in BMI were also linked to greater odds of colon and rectal cancers in men as well as endometrial malignancies in younger women.

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy weight, while 25 to 29.9 is overweight, 30 or above is obese and 40 or higher is what's known as morbidly obese. (The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has an online BMI calculator here: bit.ly/1D0ZqDv.)

The increased risk of cancer for every 5-unit gain in BMI ranged from 9 percent for rectal cancer among men to 56 percent for tumors in the biliary tract system.

For women, weight gain and extra belly fat, a measurement known as waist-to-hip circumference ratio, were also associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.

After menopause, women's risk of breast cancer increased by 11 percent for every 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of weight they gained during adulthood. This was in women who didn't take hormones to ease menopause symptoms, a treatment that is independently linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

As women added more fat around the midsection, every 0.1 unit increase in waist-to-hip ratio was associated with a 21 percent jump in the odds of endometrial cancer.

Researchers found strong evidence linking weight gain to colorectal cancer. They also found a strong connection between BMI increases and getting cancers of the gallbladder, stomach and ovaries, as well as dying from bone marrow tumors.

One limitation of the study is that researchers didn't examine controlled experiments designed to prove that obesity directly causes cancer, the authors note.

More research is needed that assesses changes in body fat over time to better understand how obesity directly influences the risk of getting cancer or dying from the disease, the authors conclude.

The way obesity impacts the risk of cancer also varies in different parts of the body, Dr. Graham Colditz, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said by email.

But the take-home message is the same for every patient, added Colditz, author of an editorial accompanying the study.

"Avoiding weight gain through adult years is important," Colditz said. "Even if you are overweight focus first on not gaining any more weight; for those who are overweight or obese taking off some pounds can lower cancer risk."

Surprisingly heart-healthy foods

Large portions of us started the year with resolutions to find a way to enhance our wellbeing: eat more foods grown from the ground, practice consistently, and get enough rest. 

Be that as it may, a month or so into 2017, what number of us are still on track with staying aware of these progressions? On the off chance that you've floated a bit, don't stress: February is National Heart Month and is an extraordinary time to recharge your endeavors to deal with your body this year. 

In the event that you are becoming worn out on all the standard guidance and need to shake up your normal, read on for some amazing heart-sound sustenances to help restart or reinvigorate your endeavors. 

Beans: except for an adolescence tune, beans don't get much consideration for their relationship to heart wellbeing. A decent wellspring of fiber and potassium, beans are rich in protein and offer a cheap, plant-based contrasting option to meat. Additionally, you don't have to eat a great deal of them to profit. A review distributed in the Journal of Nutrition proposes having only 1⁄2 measure of cooked beans every day offers heart-solid advantages. What's more, a writing audit of ten reviews where members added beans to their weight control plans found that this change was related with a diminishment in LDL (terrible) cholesterol. Have a go at adding flushed canned beans to your plate of mixed greens, soups, and stews, or swap beans for meat a couple of evenings seven days by serving spicy burros, a bean stew, or a bean and rice dish. 

Kimchi: Fermented nourishments are getting a great deal of consideration of late in the United States, however a hefty portion of these sustenances are long-standing staples in different societies. Kimchi is one such sustenance - produced using aged vegetables, it is a fundamental side dish in Korean food. A current investigation of 100 members observed that individuals devouring bigger measures of kimchi prompt to more prominent decreases in LDL (terrible) cholesterol levels after just seven days. Look at a neighborhood Korean eatery to try kimchi out, or get a container at your nearby Asian market. 

100 percent Grape Juice: Most of us have caught wind of the heart-solid advantages of wine, yet shouldn't something be said about its non-matured companion grape juice? Almost 20 years of research proposes that, because of the profound purple Concord grape, 100 percent grape juice can bolster a solid heart. Accord grapes and its juice give an interesting blend of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, which are related with heart-medical advantages like enhanced blood stream (or enhanced course). Only four ounces, or 1/2 glass, considers one serving of foods grown from the ground be a supplement to, not a swap for, an eating routine rich in an assortment of products of the soil to get a different admission of polyphenols for the duration of the day. 

Eggs:  Eggs have been the foundation of a solid supper for eras, and all things considered. Eggs are an-all regular wellspring of brilliant protein with one substantial egg containing six grams protein (12 percent day by day esteem), 13 vitamins and minerals, just for seventy calories. Nonetheless, for some it's difficult to block out the times of hearing that eggs, which contain dietary cholesterol, are not incredible for your heart. Yet, late research has changed that guidance. 

For instance, one review distributed in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition recommends that eating one egg a day diminishes hazard for stroke by 12 percent. What's more, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans make no proposals to constrain the cholesterol we eat. Beat your serving of mixed greens with a hardboiled egg or incorporate a side of new organic product with your veggie omelet for a heart-solid, nourishment powerhouse supper. 

Papaya: The impacts of lycopene (a sound plant-based compound) on coronary illness are very much examined, and tomatoes have a tendency to get all the consideration as a decent wellspring of lycopene in the eating regimen. While tomatoes do contain this effective cancer prevention agent that is in charge of its red shade, so do numerous different foods grown from the ground that come in red hues. One review that took a gander at the bioavailability of lycopene in tomatoes, carrots, and papaya found that the lycopene from papaya was 2.6 circumstances more bioavailable than that from tomatoes. While more research is expected to examine how increasing your admission of papaya may profit your heart, give this tropical natural product a shot by adding it to your nibble turn, smoothies, plates of mixed greens, and parfaits. 

Dull Chocolate: As on the off chance that you required motivation to incorporate chocolate in your eating regimen, here's some scrumptious news. A recent report that took a gander at members with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension thought about the expansion of dull chocolate (from 83 percent cocoa chocolate bars) to white chocolate bars in their eating regimens demonstrated that individuals who ate dim chocolate saw a diminishment in their pulse contrasted with the general population who ate white chocolate. 

The creators ascribe this distinction to the high polyphenol substance of the dim chocolate. Since chocolate is high in calories and included sugar, most specialists concur that the prescribed "measurements" of dim chocolate is roughly one to two ounces a day.