Make simple changes to prevent heart disease
By: Dr. Terry Shlimbaum
The good news is women can reduce their chances of heart disease.
We’re on a mission to raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of U.S. women, claiming about 500,000 women’s lives a year.
The good news is women can reduce their chances of heart disease without hormone replacement therapy by making some easy lifestyle changes.
If you smoke, quit. The American Heart Association says smokers are two to four times more likely than nonsmokers to have a heart attack. They also are less likely to survive a heart attack than nonsmokers.
Lose weight if you are obese. Dropping as little as 10 or 20 pounds can reduce the risk.
Eat more antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains and replace artery clogging fats with healthier olive oil.
Keep a close eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure. As cholesterol levels rise, so does the risk of developing heart disease.
High blood pressure ramps up the heart’s workload, which, over time, can weaken and enlarge the muscle.
Exercise, exercise, exercise.
The leading cause of heart disease among postmenopausal women, according to the American Heart Association, is physical inactivity. Doctors know exercise can do wonders for the body, helping you control weight, lower blood pressure and reduce the level of bad cholesterol (LDLs) while raising the levels of good cholesterol HDLs).
If lifestyle changes and exercise don’t do the trick, physicians can prescribe medications that promote better cardiovascular health. Statins lower cholesterol and are effective for women with moderately high LDLs and low HDLs.
Aspirin, taken in half the dose used to treat headaches, helps lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.
And blood pressure medications can reduce the risk of heart attack in women with high blood pressure.

