Heart Disease and Stroke Ask most people what the leading cause of death is for women, and they'll probably say breast cancer. Good guess, but it's wrong. Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in this country. In fact, a woman's risk of dying from a heart attack is five times greater than that of dying from breast cancer. Most women are unaware of their heart disease risk because they think it's a man's diseaseas did many doctors for a long time, Dr. Ross says. The focus has probably been on men because they tend to develop heart disease a decade earlier than women, she says. "We think that estrogen may be what protects women before they hit menopause," she adds. Stroke which is like a heart attack that occurs in the brain is the third leading cause of death in this country. A stroke usually occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked, either by a blood clot or by the same plaque buildup that can cause a heart attack. As a result, part of the brain is starved of blood and oxygen, and the cells in that area die. Heart attacks and strokes both occur suddenly, but the conditions that cause them take years to develop. For starters, artery clogging cholesterol builds up slowly over time. We tend to gain weight gradually as we grow older. And most people with diabetes which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke are age 65 or older. High blood pressure, another major risk factor for both diseases, is more common in women age 55 and older. "Heart disease and stroke have a lot of contributing risk factors," Dr. Ross says. "And many of those risk factors become more common as we age. Since the two diseases have many similar causes and risk factors, most of the measures you can take to prevent one disease prevents the other as well. Take diet, for example. Eating low fat, high fiber fare prevents both heart disease and stroke by keeping your weight and blood pressure down and your arteries clear. Controlling your weight especially the pounds that tend to stick to your middle lowers your risk for both diseases. And so does reducing stress. When you're under stress, your body produces chemicals that over time can cause your arteries and blood vessels to stiffen and that sets the stage for cholesterol buildup, Dr. Ross explains. So find ways to destress. Exercise, take a hot bath, read a romance novel whatever works for you. There are plenty of other ways to head off heart disease and stroke. Here are more strategies to help disease proof both your heart and brain. Kick the habit. The experts we talked to said the most important thing women can do to cut their risk for heart disease is to quit smoking or better yet never to start in the first place. "You quit smoking today, and your risk of heart disease goes down by tomorrow," Dr. Ross says. "Patients always say the damage has already been done, so it won't matter if they quit. It absolutely matters." Within 3 months of quitting, your circulation improves. After a year, your heart disease risk is half that of a smoker. And by 15 years, your risk is the same as that of a nonsmoker. Smoking is a risk factor for stroke as well. In fact, it's probably the second highest risk factor after high blood pressure, Dr. Rexrode says. That's because smoking constricts blood vessels, speeds up the formation of plaque deposits, and makes it easier for blood clots to form. So putting out that cigarette for good will benefit both your heart and your head. Find time to get physical. Regular exercise prevents heart disease and stroke in a number of ways. For starters, physical activity lowers blood pressure and stress levels and improves cholesterol by raising HDL levels. It also helps you to stay slim. Aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, cycling, and swimming, help keep your cardiovascular system in great shape. "Exercise tackles all those things that put us at risk for heart disease and stroke," Dr. Ross says. Mind your peas and cantaloupes. Fruits and vegetables contain all sorts of heart and brain friendly compounds from antioxidants to minerals like potassium, which helps by lowering blood pressure, Dr. Ross says. In fact, a study of more than 87,000 nurses found that women who ate the most fruits and vegetables were 40 percent less likely to have a stroke than those who ate the least. And experts say that munching on at least five servings of produce a day is good for your heart, too. Call in a replacement. Women who have used hormone replacement therapy have a 40 to 50 percent lower incidence of heart disease, Dr. Legato says. Estrogen's protective effect helps explain why the heart disease rate in women greatly increases after menopause. Estrogen protects the heart in several ways. First, the hormone has a positive effect on cholesterol. It keeps the levels of HDL that's the "good" cholesterol up. It can also lower blood pressure by keeping blood vessels relaxed and wide open. "I think every woman should consider hormone replacement therapy," Dr. Ross says. "One of the newest estrogen therapies may actually be protective against breast cancer as well." Hormone replacement therapy may help prevent strokes, too. In one study that compared long term users of postmenopausal estrogen to nonusers, the women who took estrogen had a 73 percent reduction in risk of death from vascular problems including stroke. With all of estrogen's possible benefits, women really should talk to their doctors about whether hormonereplacement therapy is right for them, Dr. Ross says. Take some extra E. Antioxidants such as vitamin E can help protect your heart from the ravages of free radicals harmful oxygen molecules your body produces that damage tissues throughout the body. Inside your body, rogue free radical molecules cause cholesterol to cling to artery walls and clog them up. Vitamin E can help prevent the cholesterol buildup by getting rid of free radicals before they do any damage. The evidence is so convincing that some doctors even recommend vitamin E to their patients. "I recommend that my patients take supplemental vitamin E, because it can be hard to get enough of in a low fat diet," says Dr. Ross, who suggests women take between 200 and 400 international units (IU) a day. As for stroke, the research hasn't clearly shown that vitamin E can prevent stroke, Dr. Rexrode says. "There are much more convincing data for heart disease," she adds. Go nuts. Research shows that nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and peanuts can be an important part of a heart healthy diet. A 10 year study of more than 86,000 women by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who ate more than 5 ounces of nuts a week were about a third less likely to develop heart disease than those eating less than an ounce a month. The unsaturated fats found in nuts help to lower cholesterol and may be what gives the nuts their protective effect, suggest re¬ searchers. Nuts are also high in other heart¬ healthy substances: vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, protein, and fiber. So if you're a fre¬ quent flier, don't pass on the cashews. Take care of your teeth. What's the con¬ nection between your teeth, your heart, and your brain? It turns out that the bacteria that cause gum disease can travel through the blood¬ stream to your heart, where it can damage the heart walls or valves, explains Dr. Ross. The bacteria may also cause the release of clotting factors that can trigger a heart attack or stroke, she adds. Common signs of gum disease are red, swollen gums and bleeding after brushing. To keep your gums and your heart and brain healthy, brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss once a day, and see your dentist regularly, she suggests. Anti Aging Anti Aging Generation| Anti Aging Health Strategy| Anti Aging for Women| Take a Bite Out of Aging| Check the Index| Aim Low| Fat Factor| The Zobra Diet| Bulf Of Long Life| What about Meat?| Get the Protein, Forgo the Fat| The Taxic Avengers| Great Ways to Ambush Radicals| Going Vegetarian Sparked Her Youth| Is That a Toxin in My "Soup"?| Put Your Diet into Rehab| Little Bean, Big Benefits| Sneaking Soy into Your Diet| The Anti Aging Supplements| Alpha Lipoic Acid| Vitamins Minerals| Bioflavonoids| Coenzyme-Q10| Flaxseed Oil| Ginkgo| Are Harmone Supplements Safe?| Melotonin| Phoaphatidylserine| Pycnogenol| Vitamin C| Vitamin E| Aerobics| Disease-Proof Your Body| Liven Up Your Lifestyles| 12 Tips For a Better Workout| Weather Your Workout| Water| Erasing the Lines of Time| Skin Enemy Number One: The Sun| Sunscreen to the Rescue| A Sunscreen Primer| Sun Tips for Sun Junkies| Clean Up Your Act| Perfect Cleanser| Navigating Moisturizer Maze| The Care and Feeding of Youthful Skin| Special Problems of Aging Skin Cosmetic Nutrients Cosmetic Nutrients| Get Glowing with Glycolic Acid| User's guide of Glycolic Acids| Retin-A and Renova| Using Retin-A and Renova| Vitamin C: Future Youth?| Don't Get Lost at "C"| Getting the Most from C Makeups Makeup That Enhances| Foundation| Concealer| Blush| Powder| Eye Makeup| Lipstick| Winning the Battle of the Mane| Color to the Youthful| Dressed to Impress| Acting Your Age| 10 Attributes of a Youthful Mind Right Weight Getting Your Right Weight| Weighing In| Say Goodbye to Dieting| Putting Exercise into Everyday Events| Defying Disease| Disease Proof Your Lifestyle| Arthritis| Cancer| Diabetes| Heart Disease and Stroke| Osteoporosis|Keeping Your Senses Sharp|Can You Speak Little Louder?|Preventing Hearing Loss|Target Hearing Loss Early|The Eyes Have It|Buying Sunglasses|Eyes Need Exercise|The Life of Visionary Memory Memory Like an Elephant| Keeping the Brain Up and Running|Improving Your Everyday Memory| Get Organized| Living a Memory Enhancing Lifestyle Sleep Sweet Sleep and Relaxation| Turning Out the Lights, Naturally| Easing Toward Dreamland|When All Else Fails