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Help for Women’s Hearts

June 27, 2007

Many people don’t realize that heart disease is the number-one killer and disabler of American women.

During childbearing years, estrogen helps prevent heart disease and high blood pressure. During menopause, estrogen levels drop, leaving women without this protection.

When HDL (“good cholesterol”) levels drop and triglyceride levels increase, women have the same risk for heart disease as men do, seven to 10 years later in life.

Especially to compensate for your loss of natural protection from heart disease, women need to make heart healthy choices:

• Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fatty fish and other lean proteins.
• Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate activity daily.
• Keep a healthy weight.
• Choose and prepare foods with less salt to help lower your blood pressure.

About two-thirds of women who die of heart disease had no previous symptoms. And signs of heart disease for women often differ from men, and may go unrecognized or ignored. So it’s important to realize that heart disease is a woman’s health issue, too.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team