Women Need to Protect Themselves Against Heart Attack and Stroke

Women need to be more aggressive in protecting themselves against heart attack and stroke, the American Heart Association says. For the first time, new guidelines for women 65 and older recommend taking a daily aspirin to prevent stroke. Because aspirin can cause ulcers and dangerous bleeding, aspirin therapy is not recommended for young women with no health problems.

"We do not want women to go to the drugstore and just start taking this themselves. It is critical that every woman talk to her doctor," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and chair of the medical team that wrote the guidelines.

High blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise and being overweight can significantly increase a woman's risk for heart attack and stroke. Ninety percent of American women exhibit at least one of these risk factors. Even a single risk factor at age 50 greatly increases the chance of developing heart disease or stroke later in life. "We do not want women to wait until they develop symptoms to begin to take action," Dr. Mosca said.

To lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, the new guidelines recommend that women:

• Exercise. Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise nearly every day, 60 to 90 minutes if you need to lose weight.
• Diet. Most of your daily calories should come from fruits and vegetables whole grain and high-fiber foods. Eat fish at least twice a week. Limit salt and saturated and trans fats. Limit alcohol to no more than one class a day.
• Don't smoke. Use nicotine-replacement products if necessary to stop.
• Weight. Keep your body-mass index under 25.
• Supplements. Add omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) to your diet if you already have heart disease. Contrary to popular belief, vitamins C and E, beta carotene and folic acid do nothing to prevent heart disease and are an unnecessary addition to your diet.
• Blood pressure, cholesterol. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control with medication if necessary.
• Aspirin. If you are 65 or older, take a daily dose of 81 mg "baby" aspirin.