AHA Guidelines: Warning to Women!

March 18, 2007 6:51 PM
By Susan Parsons MD

Wake up, American women! The new American Heart Association guidelines broadcast a strong warning to women. The experts conclude that most American women are at risk for heart disease or stroke.

The AHA guidelines were published in the journal Circulation, with a new focus on cardiovascular risks in women. Both cardiologists and family doctors collaborated on the new recommendations.

The experts advise that women over age 50 who have even only one risk factor are at risk for heart attack or stroke in the future. Four preventable conditions increase a woman’s likelihood of cardiovascular disease. These are high blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise, and being overweight.

Unfortunately, only about 10% of American women are free of these problems. The evidence suggests that many more women are at risk than previously thought.

The guidelines recommend:

  1. Exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise on most days. Increase this to 60 – 90 minutes of exercise daily if you need to lose weight.
  2. Eat a healthy diet. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and high fiber foods. Eat fish at least twice a week. Minimize salt. Keep saturated fat to less than 10% of calories and trans fat to less than 1%. Limit alcohol to one drink a day or less.
  3. Don’t smoke. Do I need to explain this one?
  4. Maintain Ideal Body Weight. Keep BMI under 25.
  5. Supplements. Consider omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) if you have known heart disease. The experts do not find enough evidence to suggest that antioxidant supplements are of benefit.
  6. Control blood pressure and cholesterol. Use medication if necessary. (13 out of 33 of the guideline authors have direct ties to pharmaceutical companies that sell drugs in this category.)
  7. Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin.

Heart disease is still the #1 killer of women. Are you one of the 90% at risk?

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