(How to protect yourself from the risk of a heart attack

The World Heart Federation reports that cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of women around the world, claiming the lives of 8.6 million women annually.

The only weapon that enables women to combat heart disease and the death resulting from it lies in recognizing the symptoms of these diseases in order to overcome them before it is too late. We mention the most important of them, based on the observations of Mayo Clinic researchers:

• Feeling pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest area: However, this symptom does not affect all women, as a heart attack affects some of them without them feeling this type of pain.

• Shortness of breath.

• Pain in the arm.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Sweating.

• Sudden fatigue.

• Dizziness.

• Feeling pain in the neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back, or abdominal pain.

• How to protect yourself from cardiovascular diseases?

• Choose a healthy lifestyle: by paying attention to the quality of food, weight, making sure to exercise, and refraining from smoking.

• Identify the types of fats that cause high cholesterol and stay away from them.

• Adhere to the medications prescribed by your doctor.

• Reducing the use of salt in food.

• Stay away from fats, fried foods and calories, and maintain a normal weight.

• Eat moderate amounts of fruits and vegetables.

• Do jogging daily for 30 minutes.

• Quit smoking and stay away from stress.

• Other dangers that threaten women’s lives:

• Diabetes exposes women to cardiovascular diseases more than men.

• Metabolic syndrome (a combination of fat accumulated around the abdomen), high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides affects women more than men.

• Mental stress and depression affect the heart of women more than men. Depression makes it difficult for an individual to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

• Smoking promotes cardiovascular disease.

• Lack of physical activity is one of the most dangerous factors that cause heart disease, especially since women are naturally less mobile and active than men.

• Low levels of estrogen after menopause constitute a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.