Fats and cholesterol can build up in artery walls. May be related to high risk. African-Americans have the highest incidence of heart disease among women and Caucasian women have the second highest incidence. Risk increases if either your mother or sister had heart disease before the age of 60 or your father or brother had the disease before age 50. A drop in estrogen levels due to surgery or aging increases risk.
Inactive women are at twice the risk for heart disease.
Cigarette smoking strains the heart causing blood vessels to narrow, forcing the heart to beat faster and raising blood pressure. Excessive alcohol intake contributes to high triglycerides causing heart failure. Higher risk may be linked to tension, anxiety, worries, and an inability to relax. Protect your bones Osteoporosis can deform, debilitate and cause pain for otherwise healthy women. With this condition, the bone structure becomes thin and fragile, leading to increased risk of fractures.