What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean I’m at risk for diabetes? Two-third of those with diabetes die of a heart or blood vessel disease. …
Mautner Project
The National Lesbian Health Organization
The Heart Truth for Lesbians: An Action Plan
When you hear the term heart disease, whats your first reaction? Like
many women you may think, Thats a mans disease But heres The Heart
Truth: Heart disease is the 1 killer of women in the United States In
fact, one-in-three women die from heart disease
For lesbians, the risk of heart disease may be even higher Factors that
increase womens risk for heart disease - such as obesity, smoking, stress
and lack of exercise - are prevalent among lesbians Given that lesbians
are left out of most research studies, the true impact of heart disease in
our community is unknown
But theres good news too: By taking action, you can lower your chance of
developing heart disease and its risk factors In fact, lesbians can lower
their heart disease risk by as much as 82 just by leading a healthy
lifestyle This fact sheet provides the steps you can start taking today
to protect your heart health
What is Heart Disease?
Coronary heart disease the most common form to heart disease is a
disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to a heart attack
It is a
lifelong condition and will steadily worsen unless you can make
changes in your daily habits
Risk Factors for Health Disease:
Risk factors are conditions or habits that increase the chances of
developing a disease or having it worsen, and lifestyle affects many of the
risk factors for heart disease For heart disease, there are two types of
risk factors - those you cant change and those you can control The ones
you cant change are a family history of early heart disease and age, which
for women becomes a risk factor at 55 Thats because, after menopause,
women are more likely to get heart disease Partly, this is because their
body no longer produces estrogen Also, middle age is a time when women
tend to develop other heart disease risk factors
The good news is that most of the risk factors can be controlled Often,
all it takes are lifestyle changes; sometimes, medication is also needed
Heres a quick review of some major risk factors:
Access to care: Lesbians have decreased access to health care due to
factors such as lower levels of health insurance, and heterosexism/
homophobia among health care providers These barriers mean that lesbians
often delay seeking care until
their conditions are advanced Access to
routine health care and a good relationship with your provider will allow
you to identify health problems early and get appropriate treatment
Its also important to come out to your provider and have the necessary
medical and legal documents eg, medication powers of attorney, living
will, hospital visitation rights, etc in case of emergency
Smoking: Lesbians smoke more cigarettes more often than heterosexual women
Just one year after you quit, heart disease risks drop by more than half
Theres no easy way to quit, and it may take many tries, but you can do it
Many organizations have lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT-
specific smoking cessation programs - ask The Mautner Project to help you
find one Medication is also available - ask your doctor or healthcare
provider if one is right for you
High Blood Pressure: Also called hypertension, high blood pressure
increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure
Even levels just slightly above normal hypertension increase your heart
disease risk Hypertension also increases the risk of stroke and
congestive heart failure
Elevated blood pressure can be
lowered by following a heart-healthy eating
plan, including limiting your intake of salt and other forms of sodium,
getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and, if
you drink alcoholic beverages, doing so in moderation not more than one
drink a day If you have high blood pressure, you may need to take
medication - check with your healthcare provider
High Blood Cholesterol: Excess cholesterol and fat in your blood builds up
in the walls of vessels that supply blood to the heart and can lead to
blockages A lipoprotein profile tests your levels of key types of
cholesterol - total, LDL bad, and HDL good cholesterol - and
triglycerides, a fatty substance in the blood You can lower cholesterol
by following a heart-healthy eating plan being physically active,
maintaining a healthy weight, and if needed, taking medication
Overweight/Obesity: According to clinical research, lesbians tend to have
a higher body mass index than non-lesbians, increasing the risk not only of
heart disease but also a host of other conditions, including stroke,
gallbladder disease, arthritis, and some cancers If youre overweight,
even a small weight loss will help lower your risk At
the very least, try
not to gain more weight Lasting weight loss requires a lifestyle change,
lower-calorie eating plan and regular physical activity Concentrate on
getting fit and losing fat will follow Aim to lose no more than to 2
pounds per week
Physical Inactivity: Physical activity is crucial for good health,
including heart health Try to do at least 30 minutes of a moderate-
intensity activity such as brisk walking on most and, preferably, all days
of the week If you need to, divide your exercise time into shorter
periods of at least 10 minutes Look for activities that you enjoy
Diabetes: About 11 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes -
and another 57 million dont know they have it Two-third of those with
diabetes die of a heart or blood vessel disease
Diabetes can be detected with a blood sugar test and modest changes in diet
and exercise can often prevent or delay development of disease Although
there is no
Since diabetes has been linked to obesity, lesbians tend to have higher
levels of obesity than heterosexuals Lesbians may also be at increased
risk of diabetes
Stress: In addition to the stressors facing women in everyday life,
lesbians must
deal with increased stress due to anti-gay discrimination at
work, in their families and in society in general Because of this, its
especially important for lesbians be aware of their stress levels and work
to reduce them Exercise, stress reduction techniques like meditation and
yoga, support groups and good eating habits can help If stress is a
serious problem for you, ask your healthcare provider to assess your stress
levels and if counseling or medication can help
TAKING ACTION
Now that you know the Heart Truth for Lesbians, what should you do? Begin
by finding out your risk profile See the box above for questions to ask
your doctor Then begin taking the steps to heart health - dont smoke,
follow a heart-healthy eating plan, be physically active, and maintain a
healthy weight Start today to keep your lesbian heart strong
TO LEARN MORE
The Mautner Lesbian Health Project
National Lesbian Health Organization
Phone: 2023325536
wwwmautenrprojectorg
NHLBI Health Information Center
Phone: 301-592-8573
TTY: 2406293255
wwwnhlbinihgov/health/hearttruth
American Health Association
Phone: 1-888-My Heart
wwwamericanheartorg/simplesoulutions
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for
Women with Heart Disease
Phone: 202-728-7199
wwwwomenheartorg
Office on Womens Health
US Department of Health and Human Services
National Womens Health Initiative Center
Phone: 1-800-994-Women
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QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR
1 What is my risk for heart disease?
2 What is my blood pressure? What does it mean for me and what do I need
to do about it?
3 What are my cholesterol numbers? [including total cholesterol, LDL, HDL,
and triglycerides] What do they mean for me? What do I need to do about
it?
4 What is my body mass index BMI? Does it mean I need to lose weight
for my health?
5 What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean Im at risk for diabetes?
What do I need to do about it?
6 What other screening tests for heart disease do I need?
7 What can you do to help me quit smoking?
8 How much physical activity do I need to help protect my heart?
9 Whats a heart-healthy eating plan for me?
10 How can I tell if I may be having a heart attack? If I think Im having
one, what should I do?
Source:med.wright.edu
