Lauren's Corner

New Heart Health Guidelines for Women

One in three women in the United States has cardiovascular disease, and nearly all are at risk if they don't lead a heart-smart lifestyle. The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued new preventative guidelines for women. Four key recommendations:

Beef Up EXERCISE

The new guidelines bump up the exercise recommendation for many women. Those who need to lose excess pounds and keep them off should aim for 60 to 90 minutes of moderate physical activity on all or most days. "Its a long term goal, not something you have to achieve tomorrow," says Riska Platt, M.S, R.D., a national spokesperson for the AHA. "You can build up to it a little at a time. And keep in mind that your daily physical activity doesn't have to be done all at once. You can do 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there."

STOP SMOKING

If you smoke, one of the most important lifestyle changes you can make is to quit. The new guidelines encourage the use of counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, or other quit-smoking medications to help you give up cigarettes for good.

Reduce fat Even MORE

The AHA now recommends getting less than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat. "That's below the previous gaol of 10% for healthy women," says Platt. The new goal isn't as hard to attain as you might think, she says. "Watch your portion size on meat, poultry, and even fish. Limit your intake of these foods to only 6 to 7 ounces a day. Also, be sure to choose fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products.

Supplement with FISH

All women should eat fatty fish such as lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon at least twice a week. Women with heart disease should talk to their doctors about taking 850 to 1,000mg a day of EPA and DHA - fish oil in supplements. Those with high triglycerides may need 2 to 4 grams a day. One caveat: Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid varieties of fish that are potentially high in mercury contamination, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Even pregnant women and nursing mothers still can eat up to 12 oz. per week of other varieties, however.

Additional Suggestions

Women age 65 and older should ask their doctors about taking a low dose of aspirin every day or two. Earlier guidelines didn't advise this for health women, but evidence has shown that for many healthy women, the benefits of low-dose aspirin outweigh the risks. Hormone replacement therapy isn't recommended to prevent heart disease in women after menopause. Neither are selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM's)-drugs, such as raloxifene, which are prescribed to prevent or treat postmenopausal bone loss. Research has shown such medications don't protect the heart and may increase the possibilty of having a fatal stroke in women at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The new guidelines also do not recommend supplements of folic acid and antioxidants (such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and beta-carotene) specifically to prevent heart disease. Well-designed studies have not shown such supplements to be effective for that purpose. "However, folic acid is still very important for women of childbearing age to prevent certain birth defects," Platt says.

Have a Healthy Day!