5 Things Teen Girls and Their Parents Should Know About Heart Health

Heart health may not be a priority for teenage girls, but experts say there are some things they should know about their hearts.
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For many adolescent girls, the heart is an essential element of communication. Heart emojis punctuate their texts, heart hands frame their selfies on social networks.

But few girls consider their heart an essential organ, the epicenter of the circulatory system, supplying blood with oxygen to the body to keep everything functioning properly.

Although good heart health may be a given for most young girls, teen health experts say there are still many things teen girls should know about how to take care of their ticker.

Here are five things to help them get started:

Good or Bad Heart Health Starts Now

Lifestyle habits and behaviors established during adolescence — like staying physically active and eating a healthy or unhealthy diet — can put a person on a path to good or poor cardiovascular health, say experts like pediatric cardiologist Dr. Teresa Lee.

“Starting early is always best,” said Lee, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. “You want to try to prevent cardiovascular disease, rather than having to treat it later. The choices and habits developed during early childhood and adolescence truly determine health and well-being in the years to come.

Studies have shown that atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries due to plaque buildup, can begin to develop as early as adolescence. Hardened or narrowed arteries block blood flow and can lead to heart attacks, strokes or other problems later in life. Poor diet, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity and being overweight can contribute to high cholesterol, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.

According to statistics from the American Heart Association, adolescents and adolescents may have a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, use of tobacco products, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity and poor diet.

“The rapid weight gain of some adolescents due to a diet high in junk food and low levels of physical activity actually sets them up for weight problems for the rest of their lives, which absolutely affects their hearts ” said Dr. Judith Simms-Cendan, director of the Division of Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Very sedentary adolescents often have poor sleep habits, which can also affect their heart health.”

The AHA encourages young people to adopt the same healthy behaviors known to maintain good heart health in adults: staying physically active, eating a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and low in fat, maintaining a healthy weight, getting get a good night’s sleep and do not smoke or use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.

Organized sports, dance teams or exercise classes are good places to start, Simms-Cendan said.

“Participating in sports, whether or not you are a competitive athlete, can prepare you for a better cardiac future,” she said.

Listen to your heart

Even though most teens have healthy hearts, it’s important to notice signs or symptoms that something is wrong — and tell someone, Lee said.

For example, “if there’s something you’ve been able to do that you’re suddenly unable to do,” that could signal a problem, she said. “You are your own best predictor of when things go wrong.”

Ceirra Zeager of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, thought her heart was fine until she collapsed while getting dressed the day after her first high school dance.

“Heart disease doesn’t care how old you are,” said Zeager, who was 14 when she had a heart attack, caused by a hole in her heart she didn’t know she had. “I was otherwise in good health, but the pain I felt was indescribable. »

Zeager, now 23, volunteers with the AHA’s Go Red for Women campaign. She said adolescent girls should not hesitate to ask health care professionals questions about their hearts and listen to their hearts. “You may hear irregular heartbeats,” also called arrhythmias, she said. “Teenagers should learn what that means. This is basic information that is good to know.

Irregular heart rhythms occur for many reasons and may not be alarming, but they should be checked. Zeager said the hole in his heart caused a murmur that could have been detected with a stethoscope. “I wish I knew to ask,” she said.

Other teenagers can also be a good indicator that something is wrong, Lee said.

“If you notice that, compared to your peers, you are not able to do things as well, including physical activity, and it gets worse over time,” it is probably something something to discuss with your parents or healthcare team, she says.

Even if everything seems good, “there’s never a bad time” to ask about heart health, Lee said. Wellness visits are a great time to discuss ways to promote good cardiovascular health and address risk factors.

Pregnancy can affect your heart

“Pregnancy is a significant stress on everyone, and it’s a significant stress, especially on the heart,” Lee said.

Pregnant teens may be at high risk of preeclampsia, a condition that can cause very high blood pressure.

Pregnancy can be particularly problematic if a teenager has an underlying congenital heart defect or cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure or obesity, which can lead to pregnancy complications.

“Some forms of birth control are safer for girls with underlying heart problems,” Simms-Cendan said. Progestin birth control options are safer options, she said.

Although estrogen-containing birth control pills may be safer for healthy girls, those with underlying heart problems and risk factors, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, should avoid them, Simms said- Cendan. “In these girls, they can increase blood pressure and other complications.”

“A large number of girls at the highest risk of an unplanned pregnancy affecting their heart do not receive contraceptive counseling,” Simms-Cendan said. “A real gap in care is making sure that if you have underlying heart disease and you plan to be sexually active, you can take safe birth control. If you become pregnant, seek prenatal care immediately.

Some Things May Look Like Heart Problems, But They’re Not

A fast heartbeat could be a sign of a heart problem, but that may not be the case, Simms-Cendan said. This could be a sign of anxiety, the prevalence of which has increased among adolescent boys and girls since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“When teens have anxiety, their hearts race,” she said. “It’s scary, but if their hearts are healthy, they’re not in danger.”

However, this would still need to be verified, she said. And if it’s anxiety, it needs to be treated.

Mental health issues can affect every system in the body, Simms-Cendan said, including the heart. “They affect your energy level and your desire to exercise. If you’re depressed, you don’t want to move around much. Depressed adolescents may also use sleep as an escape. They could spend all day in bed.

Parents can play an important role

Talking to teens about heart health can be a challenge for parents. But if they want their children to adopt healthy habits, the first thing they should do is lead by example, Lee and Simms-Cendan said.

“Adolescents are not always receptive to advice or criticism from the adults around them about their eating or sleeping habits,” Lee said. “Honestly, I think one of the best things parents can do is live a healthy lifestyle and make healthy choices. »

“You can’t talk to a teenager about doing things if you don’t do them yourself,” Simms-Cendan said. “If you have a child who is struggling with excess weight, telling them not to drink soda or eat junk food if you have it in the house isn’t going to work.

“If you’re worried about their weight or their blood pressure or their diabetes and you want them to be healthier, you need to walk,” she said. “Keep unhealthy foods out of the house.”

Simms-Cendan suggested parents take their teens with them when shopping so they can choose healthy foods they enjoy. Taking walks together is another way to model healthy behavior, she said.

“Ask them to go for walks, but understand that sometimes they prefer listening to music rather than talking. Let them keep their headphones on,” she said. What if they don’t want to do that? “Ask them what they would like to do to be healthy.”