• Cardiology And Vascular Health
• Health Topics
• Heart And Vascular Disease Prevention

Your Secret Weapon In Heart Health: Your ObGyn

There are plenty of reasons why you should pay attention to your heart health. Here are two significant reasons

1. Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in women.
2. Ninety percent of women have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

If you’re like many women, your Ob/Gyn is the only doctor you see each year. That makes your annual visit a powerful opportunity to be counseled about what you can do to keep your heart healthy.

Both are reasons why the American Heart Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are advising that a heart-healthy lifestyle be a topic of conversation at every Ob/Gyn visit. The advisory was jointly issued by both organizations in May 2018.

If you’re like many women, your Ob/Gyn is the only doctor you see each year. That makes your annual visit a powerful opportunity to be counseled about what you can do to keep your heart healthy.

Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity. Many of these conditions may already be routine points of discussion and concern during your Ob/Gyn visits. That’s why the new advisory suggests Ob/Gyns use these topics as a means to counsel and educate on what you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease with healthy lifestyle choices.

Your Ob/Gyn also is well positioned to counsel you on heart health as woman-specific conditions and treatments may increase your risk of heart disease or stroke. These include complications of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-term delivery, and low birthweight.

In addition, Ob/Gyns are encouraged to review your electronic medical records for other conditions that may increase your risk of heart disease.

Source: American Heart Association; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists