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eWellness: The woman is at risk if:

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Dr KK Aggarwal    09 April 2021

  1. Her father or brother below the age of 55 years or her mother or sister below 65 years of age have suffered a heart attack, stroke, angioplasty or bypass surgery.
  2. She is over 55 years old (After age 65, the death rate increases sharply for women).
  3. She smokes or is exposed to second-hand smoke daily.
  4. Her blood pressure is over 135/85 mm Hg. Optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. Drug therapy is indicated when blood pressure is >140/90 mm Hg, or an even lower blood pressure when there is chronic kidney disease or diabetes (>130/90 mm Hg).
  5. She does not exercise for at least 30 minutes that includes moderate-intensity physical activity, such as a brisk walk, on most days. For weight control, women must exercise for 60–90 minutes with moderate–intensity activity on most days.
  6. She has diabetes. After age 45, diabetes affects more women as compared to men. One must aim to achieve glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level <7%.
  7. Her HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is <50mg/dL.
  8. LDL goals depend on risk. The following levels should be aimed through lifestyle approaches among women: LDL–C <100mg/dL; HDL–C >50mg/dL; triglycerides <150mg/dL and non–HDL–C (total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol) <130 mg/dL. A woman at high risk or having hypercholesterolemia - intake of saturated fat to be <7% and cholesterol intake <200 mg/d. For women with diabetes, LDL should be <100. For vascular disease and very high risk women, LDL should be<70. HDL 60 mg/dL is regarded as cardioprotective. HDL can be increased by taking 2–3 tbs of olive oil daily, quitting smoking, getting regular aerobic exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
  9. She is overweight by 20 pounds or more (More than one–third of women are more than 20 pounds overweight.)
  10. Early menopause, before the age of 40, is tied to increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
  11. Taking birth control pills heightens the risk of heart attack and stroke, particularly after 35 years of age.
  12. She has a high demand/low control job with sustained high levels of stress.
  13. A healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables and whole grain high–fiber foods. One must aim for 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of whole fruit daily; eating fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week; limiting saturated fat to < 10% of energy (if possible to <7%), cholesterol to <300 mg/dL. Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink per day; restrict sodium intake to <2.3 g/d (approximately 1 tsp salt) and avoid trans–fatty acids (mentioned as "hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients section).
  14. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid eating fish high in methylmercury.
  15. Having at least three of a cluster of symptoms mentioned below put her at risk:
  • High blood sugar: >100 mg/dL after fasting
  • High triglycerides: at least 150 mg/dL
  • Low HDL: <50 mg/dL in women
  • Blood pressure of 130/85 or higher
  • Waist >35 inches (Waist measurement of 35 inches or more or waist–to–hip ratio >0.80 predicts high triglycerides and low HDL levels).

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