AHA Guidelines Offer Heartening News for Women

Ask a woman what her greatest health fear is, and chances are she'll say breast cancer. But it's heart disease that kills more than half a million American women each year, making it the number-one health threat to women of all ages. Yet, ironically, it's also one of the most preventable.

These facts led the American Heart Association (AHA) to release new guidelines for preventing heart disease in women. The resounding conclusion: It's not about aspirin therapy, clot-busting medications, or leading-edge surgical techniques. It's the simple lifestyle choices a woman makes that are her most powerful weapon against heart disease.

The Risk Continuum
The new guidelines revise experts' view of heart disease. "It's no longer either/or — that is, either a woman has heart disease or she doesn't," says Ali Moosvi, M.D., medical director of Ocean Medical Center's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. "Instead, researchers now know that heart disease is a continuum of gradually increasing risk."

Your Life is in Your Choices
Dr. Moosvi says that no matter what your age, you can reduce your heart disease risk by as much as 80 percent. Here's how:

• Know your risk. Begin screening for heart disease risk factors at age 20. The AHA advises having blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist size checked at least every two years. Blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels should be checked every five years.
• Don't smoke. And quit if you do. Ask your doctor for help.
• Stay active. This means 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. Beyond brisk walking, try bike riding, swimming, backpacking, or jumping rope.
• Enjoy a healthful, low-fat diet. Choose plenty of whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and chicken or turkey rather than red meat.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Your BMI should be between about 18 and 25, and your waist should be less than 35 inches.
• Get help for stress or depression. These issues may increase heart risks. Fortunately, healthy habits can go a long way in boosting mental as well as physical health.

"It's important to note that while some risk factors are hereditary, others are not and can be modified, treated, or controlled," says Dr. Moosvi. "The more risk factors you have and the greater the level of each risk factor, the greater your chance of developing coronary heart disease." n

Women's HeartAdvantage is Meridian's ongoing heart program for women, including screenings, educational sessions, and women's health fairs throughout Monmouth and Ocean counties. Call the Meridian Health Line at 1-800-560-9990 to learn how you can lower your risk for heart disease today or for a FREE heart-healthy handbook!