Heart disease and women

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

(Page 3)

Acute MI

Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

The guidelines recommend the following lifestyle changes:

• Do not smoke or use tobacco.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Women who need to lose or keep off weight should get at least 60 - 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days. To maintain your weight, get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, preferably at least 5 days a week.
• Women who recently had a heart attack, angina, angioplasty, or a stent procedure should join a cardiac rehabilitation program.
• Eat a heart healthy diet. The diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, and sources of protein low in saturated fat.
• Watch your weight. Women should strive for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 and a waist smaller than 35 inches.
• Get checked and treatment, if necessary, for depression.
• High-risk women should take omega-3 fatty acids supplements.
• Folic acid supplements may be considered in some high-risk women if a higher than normal level of homocysteine has been detected. (These should not be taken after coronary revascularization.)

TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WOMEN

Keep blood pressure under 120/80 mm Hg. Blood pressure drugs should be used when blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mm Hg. (Persons with diabetes may need medication at lower levels.)

Keep cholesterol levels under control:

• LDL should be under 100 mg/dL
• HDL should be greater than 50 mg/dL
• Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL

Depending on a woman's level of risk (low, intermediate, high), dietary changes and medicines may be needed to control cholesterol levels.

New guidelines no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy, antioxidant supplements, or folic acid to prevent heart disease in women.

Aspirin therapy (dose 75 mg to 325 mg a day) or a drug called clopidogrel may be prescribed for women at high risk for heart disease. Aspirin therapy is recommended for women over age 65 to prevent heart attack and stroke as long as blood pressure is controlled and the benefit is likely to outweigh the risk of gastrointestinal side effects. Regular use of aspirin is not recommended for healthy women under age 65 to prevent heart attacks.

Beta blockers should be used in all women with a history of heart attack or who have chronic heart disease, unless there is a medical reason not to.

ACE inhibitors should be used in high-risk women unless there is a medical reason not to.

Angiotensin receptor blockers should be used in women with heart failure or an ejection fraction less than 40% in whom ACE inhibitors did not work.

See also:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Diabetes
• Stroke

Review Date: 02/20/2007
Reviewed By: Updated by A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Alan Berger, MD, Assistant Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. Review provided byVeriMed Healthcare Network. (2006)