As a woman entrepreneur, there’s no doubt that you’re the heart of your business. It’s you who gives it the energy to fulfill your heart’s desires. It’s you who is the most committed, passionate, and tenacious. It’s also you who is the most likely to be over-worked, sleep deprived, and stressed-out.
What you might not know is that being highly stressed-out might be a real killer to your business. Current research now recognizes stress as playing a significant role in heart disease.
The Facts About Women and Heart Disease
- 8 million women in the US are currently living with heart disease
- 35,000 are under the age of 65.
- Four million suffer from angina.
- 435,000 American women have heart attacks annually
- 83,000 are under the age of 65 with the average age of 70.4 years.
- 42% of women who have heart attacks die within 1 year, compared to 24% of men.
- Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.
- 67,000 women die each year from heart attacks, which kill six times as many women as breast cancer.
- Another 31, 837 women die each year of congestive heart failure, representing 62.6% of all heart failure deaths. (Resource: http://www.womensheart.org/PDFs/FactSheet_WHD.pdf)
What Is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a type of cardiovascular disease where the lining and inner layers of the arteries that form the network of blood vessels of the heart become damaged over time.
If untreated it can lead to a heart attack due to a plaque blockage within a vessel impeding the flow of oxygen and nutrients.
Medications, surgery and lifestyle changes offer improvement but are not a cure.
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The Causes of Heart Disease
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the most common causes of heart disease are attributed to –
- Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
- High blood content level of certain fats and cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Conditions of diabetes and insulin resistance
- Inflammatory blood vessels
In addition, a serious cause for women is Coronary Microvascular Disease (MVD). It affects the heart’s smallest arteries due to low estrogen which may occur before or after menopause.
Emotional stress is known to contribute to heart attacks due to a sudden surge of stress hormones, especially for women. The condition is associated with post-menopausal women and is also known as broken heart syndrome.
While not verified medically, it’s thought that the actress, Debbie Reynolds, died of a broken heart after the sudden heart attack death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
What’s New About Stress and Heart Disease
What’s new is the recognition of a link between an increase in the activity of the brain’s amygdala center and the rise in heart attacks.
The amygdalae are two tiny almond shaped cells bodies. Each is positioned approximately midway on each side of the brain. Think of them as a kind of receiving, processing and sending station for emotional responses, especially those of fear and anger. This is where your “fight or flight” response originates. (pink bud-like structure in diagram)
Researchers at Harvard Medical School suggests that on-going chronic or consistent stress elevates the activity level of each amygdala.
Increased amygdala activity then stimulates the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells.
An increase in white blood cells subsequently causes inflammation in the arteries and increases the chances of a heart attack, angina, and strokes.
While you probably accept a certain level of stress that goes with your business, maybe it’s a good time to take a step back and determine how much stress you’re enduring to make your heart’s desires come true.
Perhaps having a heart check-up is a good business investment for the woman entrepreneur who is the heart of her business.
Resources:
http://www.womensheart.org/PDFs/FactSheet_WHD.pdf
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/hearttruth/lower-risk/what-is-heart-disease.htm
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hdw/causes
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38584975
Images: Pixabay 1040227, wikimedia commons
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Great and important article. And it is always of essence to not stress ourselves out…as the consequences can be harsh.
Love that wine has some heart health benefits and it’s good at reducing some of the stress of the day.
Yes, this is very important. I am in the midst of dealing with this and I am only 44. My bp is high and now I am on meds. This is serious stuff.
Renee, so glad to hear that despite your high blood pressure that you are being proactive and staying on top of this.
Our health is so so important to us, i wish more people looked after it. It’s an important thing to me too, regularly drinking water, eating good foods, cutting out white carbs etc. Not to mention regular exercise.
So right Sonya. Keep it up!
This is so important, Joyce. I feel blessed to be (knock on wood) heart healthy, and I do my best to support that with good diet, exercise and emotional/spiritual habits. I love the information you shared and the good it will do.
Thanks, Reba.
This is a disease that does affect many more women in these times. My best friend of many years died suddenly from a heart attack. I know for certain that it was from a broken heart. We need to take care of ourselves and get regular check ups. Thanks for the reminder
I had a friend that suddenly died of a heart attack and I miss her so much. I remember it being such a shock and it took a long time to get over her passaing. So, I try to spread the word how important it is to pay attention to our heart health. Thanks for sharing and bing proactive about your heart health.
Joyce, I find myself in tears as I was reading your article. I am witnessing some life challenges with family now and this is not exactly what it is ..but certainly close and related. The past month I have found myself reading The Brain Warriors Way to help learn more how I can better myself and help my family. Thank you for this valuable information.
Sending love Teresa. Ir’s very hard when it’s family members to see them be so challenged. Ever since I met Dr. Amen at a conference two years ago, I ‘ve been a follower. My husband and I have been using his brain products and I can’t rave enough about them. Just remember to take care of yourself during these times.
Getting a regular checkup, especially when one is working in a stressful environment can reduce the chances of a serious heart disease, Joyce. Considering that my maternal grandfather died of a heart attack, I make it a point to monitor my Mom and my eating habits and activities to ensure we keep the odds of not having a heart disease in our favor.
That’s so great that you and your mother are so proactive about your heart health. It’s something we all need to pay attention to.
I remember when I first heard how rampant heart disease was in women. I was quite surprised to be honest! Women often think that heart disease is a ‘man’s’ issue. It is great that you are sharing these rather startling statistics and hopefully waking up some women who haven’t been aware of this before.
I find when I am ‘stressed’, sometimes I feel my blood pressure rising and this has made me highly aware of how stress impacts me. As my father died suddenly of a heart attack, my brother and I are very conscious and make sure to have our heart checked regularly. Thanks Joyce, for sharing this important info!
Very true, Beverley, how women thought of heart attacks as being primarily an issue for men. But in reality, there ae far more serious as they may present with unrecognizable symptoms. My father also died suddenly of a heart attack so I can relate this being an issue of high importance. I congratulate you and your brother on being proactive when it comes to heart care.
Awesome post Joyce and a wonderful topic to touch upon…heart disease and women entrepreneurs! The statistics just blow me away! Thanks for sharing as I am sure so many of us women do not know the reality 🙂
I’m glad you were touched by this Joan. It’s so important that we pay attention to the health of our hearts. After all, we want to keep being healthy and active for as long as possible.
Great post Joyce, as i have a blood pressure issue I read this with great interest- thank you. I know that being happy daily and living stress free is so important along with healthy eating, meditation and exercise xxx
Suzie, you’re doing all the good things to keep your blood pressure in check. And, I know your love and spiritual growth keeps you in a healthy energy field. To the best life ever.
This information is so important for women to read. Thanks for the clear information and a reminder to focus on health!
As women entrepreneurs, we work hard and we sometimes need to be reminded to take care of our health. We have a lot to offer so we need to be there for our target audience.
This is such an important topic Joyce! Women are great at taking care of everyone but often give themselves precious little nurturing. Thank you for the reminder.
So true, Marquita. We take care of everyone else first. But, now we have to start paying attention to ourselves.
Great article! I agree that stress is a contributor to heart disease, and am so thankful that my life is not a series of stressful events. That is not to say that was not always the case, and I have had to learn to deal with stress as it arises. Exercise is my best stress reducer.
Good for you Robin, for finding an outlet for stress in exercise. It’s so important to be proactive in maintaining our overall heart health.
Thank you Joyce for writing about a vital subject I care deeply about, broken heart syndrome is very real. Reducing cortisol, the stress hormone can help but is not enough if there is a genetic defect in the liver in processing and eliminating LDL . If the liver can never clear excess LDL cholesterol you are at risk. This could be me. I have the new recent advances in my hands now from the doctor that saved my Aunt’s life this summer.
I am also going to write about this more, everyone needs to know,
Great job!
Jilly, that’s very interesting and look forward to speaking to you more about this.
Very good article for women, thank you. I have read that heart disease and heart attacks do not present the same way in women as they do men. A very important reminder for women to make sure they visit their doctor for regular checkups.
Women’s health is so important and we need to stay vigilant. Not just for our personal healthcare, but also to make sure all women get the healthcare services that they need.
Thanks for sharing this great statistics on Heart disease women are just as likely as men and this statistic is real. Women to this day still have to be provocative in their health because some of the medical community still takes it lightly, but we are educating women and this is making a huge difference.
True, Lori. We need to spread the word to other women who might not think stress is related to heart disease.
These are such scary facts. I am getting older I find that stress is affecting me more. So I am making an effort to relax more and take the time to just breath. Let’s hope it keeps going and well help me with my overall health. Thanks for sharing.
Sabrina, it’s good that you’ve become aware of how stress is affecting you. Part of the problem is that we develop a tolerance as it increases and we think of it as being normal. It’s important to get back to making an effort to relieve as much stress in our life as we can.
I truly believe that prolonged stress is a killer, Joyce, and it’s often the thing we neglect to address. It’s important to have a relaxation plan, such as regular meditating and quiet walks. Great advice to have a heart check-up.
Meditation and quiet walks do wonders for reducing stress, and we all need to be doing more of it. Some many say, but you’re at the computer all the time, how stressful can that be? If they only knew! So, it’s also important to walk away from the screen and give yourself a break.
Great info, Joyce. And not to mention how often women are mis-diagnosed with heart issues! I’m not surprised by the effects of constant stress on the heart. We’re finding that inflammation is the culprit in just about everything, no?
Good point Susan about mis-diagnosis. Many times by merely saying you’re dealing with stress, makes it sound like it’s less serious than an actual disease. Time for us to pay moire attention to reducing stress for it’s potential dangers.
Very true Susan, misdiagnosis is a big problem. That’s why we need to spread the word among ourselves to make sure we pay attention to heart health and reduce our stress.