5 Key Facts About Women's Heart Health After Cancer

If you're finishing or finished cancer treatments...

or if someone you love is - you need to know this.

Your heart health is even more important after cancer.

Here are 5 facts about your heart health:

1.  Cancer survivors have a significantly higher risk of heart disease than those without a cancer history (ie. 37% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, 52% higher risk of heart failure.)
2. Increased risk of heart disease in cancer survivors may be due to things like:
   • cancer
   • cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation, herceptin, cancer hormone therapies, etc.)
   • inflammation
   • oxidative stress
3. Women are more likely to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain:
   • jaw/throat/shoulder/upper back/upper abdominal pain
   • pain in 1 or both arms
   • shortness of breath
   • nausea/vomiting
   • sweating
   • dizziness or lightheadedness
   • unusual extreme fatigue
   • heartburn
   • swelling of feet/ankles/legs/abdomen
4. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for women in the US and Canada and importantly for cancer survivors it's the #1 cause of non cancer deaths for cancer survivors.
5. Your recovery plan after treatments should consider heart health strategies like: 
   • managing high blood pressure
   • optimizing cholesterol (lower LDL & triglycerides, boost HDL)
   • blood sugar regulation
   • whole nutrient-dense foods
   • hydration
   • exercise regularly
   • avoid/decrease alcohol
   • stress management
   • and more...

Remember - your recovery and prevention plan is not about cancer - it's about health.

It's about moving forward.

It's about feeling empowered.

It's about you.

Hope this helps and empowers you,

Dr. Becky ND

P.S. If you're ready for your recovery and prevention plan - let's do it together!  Book your Discovery Call to see how.

Sources: 

1. American Heart Association

2. Florido R, Daya NR, Ndumele CE, Koton S, Russell SD, Prizment A, Blumenthal RS, Matsushita K, Mok Y, Felix AS, Coresh J, Joshu CE, Platz EA, Selvin E. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Cancer Survivors: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022 Jul 5;80(1):22-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.04.042. PMID: 35772913; PMCID: PMC9638987.

3. Kc M, Fan J, Hyslop T, Hassan S, Cecchini M, Wang SY, Silber A, Leapman MS, Leeds I, Wheeler SB, Spees LP, Gross CP, Lustberg M, Greenup RA, Justice AC, Oeffinger KC, Dinan MA. Relative Burden of Cancer and Noncancer Mortality Among Long-Term Survivors of Breast, Prostate, and Colorectal Cancer in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jul 3;6(7):e2323115. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23115. PMID: 37436746; PMCID: PMC10339147.

4. Yang P, Zheng Y, Chen J, Ma H, Yu K, Chen Y, Yang Y, Wu B. Immediate risk of non-cancer deaths after a cancer diagnosis. BMC Cancer. 2021 Aug 27;21(1):963. doi: 10.1186/s12885-021-08707-6. PMID: 34452598; PMCID: PMC8394256.