Many women think that heart disease is a man's disease. It isn't. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. In fact, after age 50, nearly half of all deaths in women are due to some form of cardiovascular disease. That's more than deaths from all cancers combined.
Once a woman reaches the age of 50, about the age of natural menopause, her risk for heart disease increases. In young women who have undergone early or surgical menopause, who do not take estrogen, their risk for heart disease is also higher. Women who have gone through menopause and also have other heart disease risk factors, such as the following, are at even greater risk. Other heart disease risk factors include:
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High LDL (low density lipoproteins) or "bad" cholesterol
- Low HDL (high density lipoproteins) or "good" cholesterol
- Obesity
- Inactive lifestyle
- Family history of heart disease
How is heart disease associated with menopause?
Heart disease becomes more of a risk for women after menopause.
How can menopausal women reduce their risk of heart disease?
A healthy lifestyle goes a long way in preventing heart disease. Incorporating the following suggestions into your everyday life may help you reduce your risk of heart disease.
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Avoid or quit smoking. Smokers have twice the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. In addition to eliminating cigarettes, stay away from other peoples' smoke. Second-hand smoke also increases the risk of heart disease.
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Maintain a healthy body weight. The more you weigh, the harder your heart has to work to give your body nutrients. Research has shown that being overweight contributes to the onset of heart disease.
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Exercise for 30-40 minutes three to five times per week. The heart is like any other muscle in that it needs to be worked to keep it strong and healthy. Being active or exercising regularly (ideally, 30 minutes every day) helps improve how well the heart pumps blood through your body. Activity and exercise also help reduce many other risk factors. It helps lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, reduces stress, helps keep weight off, and improves blood glucose levels.
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Eat well. Follow a diet low in saturated fat; low in trans-fat (partially hydrogenated fats such as margarine or shortening); and high in: fiber, whole grains, legumes (such as beans and peas), fruits, vegetables, fish, folate-rich foods, and soy.
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Treat and control medical conditions. Diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are known risk factors for heart disease.
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Take a vitamin supplement.
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Take one adult aspirin every day, if approved by your doctor – particularly in women over age 60 to 65, aspirin has been shown to decrease stroke risk by 30 percent.
Should I consider hormone therapy to reduce my risk of heart disease?
For many years, preliminary research showed that estrogen, through hormone therapy (HT), could possibly reduce the risk of heart disease in women. More recent studies of women with existing heart disease have not shown benefit after taking HT. In addition, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a 5-year government study of postmenopausal women taking estrogen-progestin therapy showed no decrease in the risk of heart disease in these women. As a result, the National Institutes of Health, along with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, no longer recommend that HT be used solely to prevent heart disease.
If you are taking HT to reduce your risk of heart disease, talk to doctor. He or she may recommend other methods of prevention, such as lifestyle changes, and cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering drugs.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 12/6/2006
