“Love protects the heart from the abyss”said the musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. But so do sport, prevention and anti-stress solutions, including for women! In these, “cardiovascular diseases have become the leading cause of death with two hundred deaths per day, six times more than breast cancer,” recalls Olivier Hoffman, cardiologist, ambassador of the Agir pour le coeur des femmes association and head of communications for the National College of French Cardiologists (Cncf). And the risk of heart attack increases from the age of 45, by 5% per year, even before menopause.
Risk factors. As for men, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, stress and even smoking are all cardiovascular risk factors. “Today women work like men, stress like men, smoke and drink like men,” reminds the cardiologist. But these risks can be increased by early menopause, preeclampsia during pregnancy, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome and certain inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Cardiologist Olivier Hoffman, ambassador for the Agir pour le coeur des femmes association and head of communications for the National College of French Cardiologists.
© (Photo Olivier Hoffman)
Prevention. “We observe less screening of women compared to men, because they take care of their work, their family, but little of them on the medical level, regrets Olivier Hoffman. Their The only contact is often their gynecologist, who must therefore screen for cardiovascular risk factors. »
Rethink your lifestyle. “I usually say that there are three rules in cardiology: stop smoking, smoking, and smoking,” recalls Olivier Hoffman. By adding a pinch of physical exercise. ” It’s necessary try to walk thirty minutes a day, which corresponds to 7,000-8,000 steps,” continues the cardiologist. And to reduce stress, test the “cardiac coherence”, on a daily basis. “Breathing deeply five to six times per minute is a way to lower your heart rate and relax,” calls back the doctor. Another option to use without dosage, laughter!
Signs of heart attack. “In at least 50% of cases, the signs are the same as those in men, i.e. chest pain behind the sternum which prevents breathing and which can radiate into the left arm but also the right arm and jaws, describes the cardiologist. However, other signs can specifically alert women: “unusual shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue, or unusual stomach pain, combined with nausea or vomiting.”
