Women and Heart Disease

Five hundred thousand American women die eachprone to maintain those unhealthy lifestyles. For
year from heart diseases and the risks increases withexample, according to the National Institutes of Health,
age. Heart disease includes the narrowing of thefifty-six million American women have high cholesterol,
arteries, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles,33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of
inborn defects, hardening of the arties, and otherwomen are overweight. Despite these risks, women
conditions.are less physically active than men, on average.
We tend to think of men as the ones who commonlyThe best course of action to take is to reduce your
have heart diseases but heart diseases is the leadingrisk of developing congestive heart disease and
killer of both men and women in the United States.improve the quality of life. Habits such as not smoking,
Scientists who are studying the cause of the rise inmaintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or
cardiac problems in woman have identified twoexercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting
factors that appear to be the leading cause of hardyour cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent
disease in woman.heart disease. Don't become another statistic about
The Change of Life.women and heart disease.
After menopause, a woman's body experiencesCommon Vitamins and over the counter products can
reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterolhelp with Heart Disease such as Sytrinol, Policosanol,
levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, andPotassium, Pectin, and Niacin.
increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen.Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a
Women who have gone through menopause are twohealthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing
to three times more likely to suffer heart disease thantriglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. WomenPolicosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar
that have had a hysterectomy also experience thesecane. Policosanol promotes healthy platelet function
same raised risk factors. No one yet knows exactlyand helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the
how much a woman's risk is affected by each ofhuman body.
these changes, but they are definitely associated withPotassium may help prevent high blood pressure and
greater heart disease risk.protect against artherosclerosis and reduce the risk of
Scientists studying women and heart diseasestroke.
hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy couldPectin limits the amount of cholesterol the body can
help post-menopausal women fight heart disease;absorb. High pectin count in apples may be why "One
however, long-term studies do not confirm thata day keeps the doctor away".
preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommendIf you are at risk from Heart Disease then find a good
hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease.health care professional prior to starting any type of
When talking about your heart disease risk factorshome treatment.
with your doctor, get his or her opinion on usingNiacin is the closest thing available to a perfect
hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch). Mosttreatment that corrects most causes of coronary
doctors believe that using birth control is reasonableheart disease. Niacin blocks the release of fatty acids
safe for women under thirty-five if no other riskfrom fat cells. Niacin plays a critical role in energy
factors are involved such as smoking or beingproduction, gene expression, and hormone synthesis.
overweigh. For women over the age of thirty-file thereYou cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to shift LDL
is not enough evidence that birth control hormones canparticle distribution to larger particle size and improve
increase or decrease heart disease in women andHDL functioning. The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as
more studies are being conducted.little as two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by
A Change of Lifestyle.26 percent.
Scientists studying women and heart disease find thatAlways consult your doctor before using this
women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles areinformation.
associated with heart disease, and yet they are still