Rates of heart attacks in young women are rising. And not just by a little – by a lot.
A large study looking at heart attack hospitalizations found that from the 1990s to 2010s, the proportion of young (versus older) women ages 35 to 54 admitted to the hospital due to a heart attack increased from 21% to 31%. The fact that any woman under the age of 54 could experience a heart attack is truly shocking.
The study also looked at long-lasting health conditions that connect to a heart attack. Diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease are all conditions that were more likely to be found in a young woman who suffered from a heart attack. Obesity, which is associated with diabetes, wasn’t discussed in the study; however, it is important to note that obesity rates have significantly increased in young women.
Stop and pause a moment. Are you alarmed by this data? We’ve all heard so much negativity regarding heart disease that you may be immune to it by now, but the fact that of all women experiencing a heart attack in our country nearly one third are YOUNG should be mortifying.
Why are women who are working, taking care of children, leading, creating and living their basic everyday lives experiencing more and more heart attacks? What’s changed?
What has changed throughout the years is our food intake.
The average weight of Americans has gone up about 20 pounds. And some of the drivers of this is that we’re eating out more often and we are surrounded by unhealthy food choices on grocery shelves. In summary, we are over-fed but under-nourished.
The real truth is that anyone can work to improve their heart health and no one should be experiencing heart attacks.
At Preventive Cardiology Clinic, care begins with a conversation. We spend time with you to really learn about what symptoms you are experiencing, what your risk factors are, and what you hope to achieve in terms of your health. A typical first consultation with Dr. Klodas takes approximately one hour. During that time, we will go over your general health history, your heart history, your cardiac risk factors and your diet. Please call 952-929-5600 to schedule your consultation today. Learn more.