Guidelines for Women & Heart Disease

The American Heart Association (AHA) has new guidelines for heart health for women. Once thought a man's disease, research has shown that heart disease now accounts for one in three female deaths and it is the number one killer of women in America. The good news is that heart disease is preventable through lifestyle choices. The AHA issues recommendations for women for heart health.

Get a Baseline

The AHA recommends a woman first see a doctor for a complete physical and any necessary diagnostic tests to determine her risks for heart disease. Armed with this baseline of information, she can make informed decisions to reduce her risks and track her progress or improvement.

Keep a Healthy Weight

When a woman is overweight, it puts stress on her body and her heart. To be healthy, your body mass index (a ratio of a person's weight to height) should be 24 or less. Eat a low-fat, heart-healthy diet. Many physicians recommend the "Mediterranean Diet." Fat calories should be 30 percent or less of total calories. High-risk women should supplement their diets with omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid.

Get Regular Exercise

The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise. Get 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise that is good for your heart every day. Examples would be running, brisk walking, cycling, or using an exercise machine such as a treadmill.

Don't Smoke

Smoking is directly linked to heart and vascular disease by the National Institutes of Health. If you do smoke, quit. The AHA guidelines recommend smoking cessation therapy or programs for best success.

Control Blood Pressure

Exercise and a low fat diet can keep a woman's cholesterol low. Your blood pressure should be less than 130/80. If it is higher, blood pressure lowering drugs are recommended.

Get Evaluated for Depression

According to the National Institutes of Health, cardiovascular disease can cause many physical and emotional problems. Women diagnosed with cardiovascular disease should seek professional evaluation for depression. Treatment should be sought when indicated.

For High Risk Women

For women at high risk for heart disease, aspirin is recommended to keep blood thin and prevent blood clots. ACE inhibitors, drugs that help arteries function better, may be prescribed. A woman with a condition known as atrial fibrillation may be at risk for stroke and should take the blood thinning drug warfarin. In addition, high-risk women should take a cholesterol lowering drug, or statin, even if their LDL cholesterol is below 100. The AHA also reports that, "women with certain cholesterol abnormalities should be given niacin and fibrate therapies."

What to Avoid

No matter what a woman's heart disease risk level may be, she should not take hormone therapy or antioxidant vitamin supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease.