3 Heart Disease Risk Factors for Women—And How to Reverse the Condition Naturally

When it comes to risk factors for heart disease, some are simply out of our control (like a family history of heart trouble, for one). Fortunately, there are many things you can change to help prevent heart disease and live a longer, healthier life. We asked top doctors what the major risk factors are—especially for women—plus whether or not you can reverse heart disease. Read on to see their best advice.

What is heart disease?

More than 44 percent of women in the US are living with some form of heart disease, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Heart disease is a general term that includes many conditions affecting the structure and function of the heart. It’s a type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), adds cardiologist Joyce Oen-Hsiao, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

Although the terms heart disease and CVD are often used interchangeably, there’s a slight distinction. “Cardiovascular disease is broader and encompasses both conditions of the heart and vascular [circulatory] system, which includes issues pertaining to the arteries and blood vessels,” she says. For instance, a stroke is considered a type of cardiovascular disease because it affects the arteries leading to or within the brain.

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When it comes to heart disease, there are several different types. They include arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), cardiomyopathy (a weakened heart muscle) and congenital heart disease (a structural defect present at birth).

However, the most common type of heart disease (and the leading cause of death for women) is coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease, also known as coronary heart disease, occurs when plaque builds up inside the arteries, narrowing and hardening them. Over time, this can partially or completely block blood flow to the heart, potentially leading to a heart attack.

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3 major risk factors for heart disease in women

Health conditions that are risk factors for heart disease include:

1. Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke, according to the CDC. And the longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop heart disease. Over time, elevated blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart.

While diabetes increases the risk of heart disease in both men and women, research shows women with diabetes are more likely to have heart disease than diabetic men. In fact, a study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that women with diabetes have a 44 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease than men with diabetes. (Discover our best diabetes self-care tips here.)

2. Menopause

One of the less-discussed heart disease risk factors for women is menopause, which triggers a drop in estrogen. “Estrogen is a protective barrier against plaque formation in blood vessels that would otherwise be injured,” explains Bibhu Mohanty, MD, a cardiologist and associate professor in the department of cardiovascular sciences at the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center. “When estrogen drops or goes away, the things you’ve been protected against are suddenly coming to the surface.”

One of estrogen’s key heart-protecting powers is its ability to moderate the ratio of “good” HDL to “bad” LDL cholesterol, says Dr. Mohanty. So it’s no surprise that a study in Menopause found post-menopausal women had higher levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood than premenopausal women. (Learn how to reduce LDL naturally here.)

3. High blood pressure

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke. It can be caused by conditions such as chronic stress, a diet high in salt, being overweight and living a more sedentary lifestyle. Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure, and many don’t even know it.

It’s also a key heart disease risk factor for women. Why? A study in JAMA Cardiology found that the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease increases as we age. The researchers explain that women’s blood vessels, including both small and large arteries, age faster than men’s, which increases the odds of heart trouble. (Try adding some foods that lower high blood pressure to your daily diet to protect your heart health.)

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Is heart disease genetic?

Genetics plays a big role in heart disease, says Dr. Oen-Hsiao, who is also the director of cardiac rehabilitation services at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center. “If your parents had diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, it can be passed along to you,” she explains. “So you can’t beat yourself up if you have any of these things and need to be on medication. You may just have it in your genes.”

Dr. Mohanty agrees. “You’ll find people who don’t do all the right things and they never get heart attacks. But then there are people who eat healthy, don’t smoke and exercise and they do get heart attacks,” he says.

No one gene causes heart disease, but rather a combination that can up your chances. Having a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) who has heart disease, especially coronary artery disease, is an important risk factor. Case in point: A study in Nature Medicine of nearly 250,000 cases of coronary artery disease found that roughly one-third to one-half of your odds for developing the condition are through inherited genes.

Can you reverse heart disease? These experts say yes

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The good news: You can turn things around if you have heart disease. “One way is with medication like cholesterol-lowering statins,” Dr. Oen-Hsiao says. “But my first line of primary treatment is to help the patient get into healthy lifestyle habits.” 

Reversing heart disease also includes taming inflammation in the cardiovascular system, says Dr. Mohanty. “When we talk about coronary artery disease, we think of plaque as a very slow-growing tumor on the inside of a blood vessel,” he says. To reverse plaque build-up in blood vessels, he recommends an anti-inflammatory approach.

Following a Mediterranean diet, getting enough exercise and doing things to relieve stress (such as yoga) are all considered to be anti-inflammatory, says Dr. Mohanty. Other ways to help reverse heart disease include getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping your cholesterol, glucose levels and blood pressure in a healthy range.