LIVEWELL MINUTE: Women and Heart Disease
American women are generally more concerned about osteoporosis, diabetes or cancer than they are about heart disease even though it is now the number one health problem for women in America.
Dr. Saima Zafar, M.D., cardiologist, UnityPoint Health says, “Women typically develop heart problems seven or eight years later than men. But, by the time they reach age sixty-five, a woman s risk for heart disease is the same as for men.”
To reduce their risk of heart disease, Dr. Zafar recommends that women:
- Don t smoke;
- Control their blood pressure;
- Monitor their cholesterol;
- Watch what they eat;
- Exercise regulary;
- Control their diabetes.
Dr. Zafar says, “Women can reduce their risk for heart disease, but there are additional risk factors beyond of our control like age, heredity and a previous heart attack. The best thing for women to do is to visit their healthcare provider on a regular basis, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
