Best Ideas for Heart Disease Prevention
Women at highest risk for heart disease or who have diabetes, chronic kidney failure or a history of heart disease are most likely to benefit from these preventative therapies..
An expert panel identified the following priorities for preventing heart disease according to a woman’s risk level for developing heart disease in the next ten years. Ask your doctor about your risk.
High-Risk Women
- Quit Smoking
- 30 minutes moderate physical activity daily
- Cardiac rehabilitation (if recently hospitalized or had procedure for heart disease)
- Heart healthy diet
- Weight maintenance/reduction
- Blood pressure control
- Control your Cholesterol (total cholesterol below 200; LDL-bad cholesterol below 100; HDL-good cholesterol above 50; triglycerides below 150 mg)
- Aspirin therapy as doctor advises
- Beta-blocker therapy (for women who have had a heart attack or ongoing angina or chest pain)
- ACE inhibitor therapy (ARBs if contraindicted)
- Managed/control in diabetes
- Get treatment for depression
- Omega 3 fatty-acid supplementation
- Folic acid supplementation
Intermediate-risk Women
- Quit Smoking
- Increase physical activity
- Heart-healthy diet
- Weight management/reduction
- Blood pressure control
- Cholesterol control
- Aspirin therapy if doctor advises
Lower-risk Women
- Quit Smoking
- Physical activity
- Heart-healthy diet
- Weight maintenance/reduction
- Treat individual heart risk factors as indicated
Therapies to Avoid
- Combined postmenopausal hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin). Results from the Women`s Health Initiative Study found no benefit in this therapy to prevent heart disease. In some women, it may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.
- Antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin E and beta carotene. Studies found no benefit and some an actual increase in hemorrhagic strokes. They also interfere with statin therapy (commonly used to lower cholesterol and LDL levels).
- Aspirin in low-risk patients. The potential benefits may be outweighed by the risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding.