#1 Heart Disease

Did you know that heart disease is the leading killer of American women? Or that being overweight increases your risk of such diseases as stroke, diabetes and many forms of cancer? Although most of these conditions are preventable, millions of women die from them every year. Here*s the latest research on how to protect yourself from the biggest dangers for women.

"Although it's typically viewed as a man's disease, many more women die of heart disease than do men," says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., chief of the Women's Heart Program at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, and author of Women Are Not Small Men: Life-Saving Strategies For Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women (Ballantine Books, 2002).In 1997 (the latest date for which statistics are available), heart disease killed more than 500,000 women, compared with about 42,000 deaths from breast cancer and 63,000 from lung cancer. In fact, heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer combined. In the U.S., more than one in five women has some form of major cardiovascular disease. But research shows that nearly half of women over age 45 are not being screened for the disease.

Smart Stay-healthy Strategies

Test your cholesterol  All women 20 or older should have a fasting lipoprotein profile, which measures total cholesterol, LDL ("bad" cholesterol), HDL ("good" cholesterol) and triglycerides, every five years (more frequently if it's abnormal). At age 40, Goldbergrecommends women have a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG), which records your heart's electrical impulses and checks for heart damage, and at age 50, a stress test. If you have a family history of heart disease, ask your doctor about testing your c-reactive protein and homocysteine levels. High amounts of either compound can indicate early stage heart disease.

 Check out more on Heart and Cholesterol  

HereEat Italian. Research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, olive oil and fish can reduce the risk of heart disease. "The Mediterranean diet's chief source of fat is monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, which doesn't raise cholesterol levels and may even confer some protective heart benefits," says Dan Fisher, M.D., a cardiologist at New York University Medical Center, in New York City. Eating fish regularly will also ensure you'll get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight heart disease

Stop smoking. "It triples your risk for having a heart attack," says Goldberg. The nicotine in cigarettes causes arteries to narrow and constrict, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of clots. It also increases your cholesterol. The good news: a year after quitting, your risk of heart disease decreases by half. Get your husband to quit, too: Secondhand smoke may boost your risk of developing heart disease by 25 percent.

Don't yo-yo diet. Several studies have found that when your weight goes up and down and up again, it may increase your risk of heart disease by lowering HDL cholesterol levels.

Get a blueberry boost. Start your day with a low-fat blueberry smoothie. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has ranked blueberries the number-one fruit for their antioxidant properties. "The secret lies in their color -- the blue pigment contains anthocyanins, which may help slow the ravages of aging and reduce the risk of heart disease," says Goldberg. Other heart-smart fruits and veggies include kale, strawberries, spinach, Brussels sprouts, plums, broccoli and beets.

Go for a walk. Research shows that regular, low-intensity exercise, such as walking four to five times a week, can lower the risk of heart disease

Sample some soy. Studies have linked diets high in soy with a reduction in LDL, the cholesterol that can trigger a heart attack. "You're better off getting soy in food than from supplements, since we don't know exactly which compounds of soy-rich foods are beneficial," says Rose Marie Robertson, M.D., professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.

Order the black bean soup. People who eat beans and legumes four times a week have a 19 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who eat them less than once a week, according to a 2000 study at Tulane University, in New Orleans

Drink up. Water, that is. Women who drink at least five glasses of water a day are 40 percent less likely to die from a heart attack, according to a recent study at Loma Linda University. "When you drink water, it becomes absorbed in the blood, which decreases blood thickness and the risk of developing a heart attack-triggering blood clot," explains study author Jacqueline Chan, M.D., professor of epidemiology

Monitor your menstrual cycles. Irregular periods may signal polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormone disorder that, if left untreated, can increase the risk of heart disease. "If you're experiencing irregular menstrual cycles along with symptoms such as excessive body hair and weight gain, see your doctor for hormone-related tests," says Goldberg. PCOS is usually easily treated with diabetes medications

#3 Hypertension and Stroke

Stroke is the number three killer of American women*but only 1 percent of all Americans are concerned about it, according to the National Stroke Association (NSA). About 50 percent of stroke victims are women, yet women account for 61 percent of all stroke deaths. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke, according to the NSA.Smart Stay-Healthy Strategies:

Watch your salt intake. People who are salt sensitive -- including those who don't yet have high blood pressure -- have an increased risk of death [by stroke?], according to a study at Indiana University School of Medicine, in city TK. Even if you have normal blood pressure, don't eat more than six grams of salt a day. Some common salty foods: canned soups (around 1100 mg), lunch meats (600-1000 mg) and soy sauce (1,030 mg per tablespoon).

Nurture your marriage. The better your relationship, the lower your blood pressure, according to a recent [?] study. "People in bad marriages are more anxious and depressed, so they have higher levels of stress hormones that can cause hypertension," says Redford Williams, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina

Feast on fruits and veggies. Adding at least five servings a day to your dietcan dramatically decrease blood pressure in just six months, says a study published in the May [2001 or 2002?] medical journal The Lancet.

Play with Fluffy or Fido. When researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalostudied 48 male and female stressed-out stockbrokers, they discovered that those with a pet experienced half the increase in blood pressure when under stress as those who didn*t own one. "Pets, like humans, offer social support -- they're someone to talk to, and oftentimes just petting them can relieve stress," explains Williams.

 #2  Lung Cancer

It*s the top cancer killer among American women, with an estimated 65,700 deaths in 2002. Over the past decade, the mortality rate has gone down in men but increased in women. This year there will be about 169,400 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. -- 79,200 of them in women.

Smart Stay-Healthy Strategies:

Quit smoking. According to the American Lung Association, 87 percent of all lung cancer cases are caused by lighting up. "The more often and the longer you smoke, the greater your risk of lung cancer," says Mark Kris, M.D., a lung cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City. If you stop smoking, however, the risk of lung cancer decreases each year.

Get your husband to quit, too. A nonsmoker who is married to a smoker has a 30 percent greater risk of developing lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS

Ask your doctor about a lung scan. A low-dose CT test (low radiation dose computed tomography) may find lung tumors long before they appear on X-rays. When researchers performed the test on more than 1,000 smokers, they found 23 early stage lung cancers -- only four of which appeared on a regular chest X-ray, according to a study published in the July 1999 issue of The Lancet. "The CT test can find lung cancer at an early and curable stage," says Kris. The scan costs about $350.

Test your home for radon. It's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today, causing about 12 percent of all lung cancer deaths. The EPA estimates that about one out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has dangerous levels of this odorless gas. Radon tests are available from TK.

Limit asbestos exposure. If your house was built before 1970, it probably contains asbestos, which has been linked to lung cancer, says Daniel Karp, M.D., deputy head of cancer medicine at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas. "It's not considered harmful as long as it isn't released into the air by deterioration [meaning what?] or renovation," he explains. Contact a local environmental company to make sure you*re not getting any dangerous exposure.

Buy an air filter. Tiny particles of air pollution can increase your chances of dying from lung cancer by about 8 percent, according to research conducted by George Thurston, M.D., professor of environmental medicine at New York University, in New York City. The problem is greatest in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. If you live in or near these or other major cities, Thurston recommends investing in HEPA air filters to help keep your home air clean.

Skip the beta-carotene supplements. It's a misconception that high doses of beta-carotene or vitamin A can repair damage from years of smoking. "Using high doses of these vitamins has been shown to increase, not decrease, cancer risk among smokers and former smokers," says Kris.

#3 Colorectal Cancer 
It's the third leading cause of cancer deaths in American women, according to the ACS. It's estimated that there will be 57,000 new cases of colon cancer and 18,400 new cases of rectal cancer in women in 2002 alone -- and 28,800 of them will die of the disease. Genetics account for anywhere from 5 to 15 percent of all colon cancers. If you have a parent or sibling who has had colorectal cancer, your risk for developing this disease is doubled.

Smart Stay-Healthy Strategies:

Get screened. Early detection is the key. Doctors recommend all women over 50 get the following screening tests (if you*ve got a family history of colon cancer, talk to your doctor about starting screening earlier): an annual fecal occult blood test (in which stool samples are checked for blood), a sigmoidoscopy every five years and/or a colonoscopy every 10. "Both tests are similar -- your doctor places a lighted tube inside your colon -- but a sigmoidoscopy only allows your doctor to see about a third of the colon, whereas a colonoscopy can see everything," explains Bernard Levin, M.D., vice president for cancer prevention at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston. A virtual colonoscopy is a relatively new (and less uncomfortable) method of examining the colon by taking computed tomography (CT) scans and using computer software to create three-dimensional images of the colon and rectum, "but the jury's out as to whether it's any more effective," says Harmon Eyre, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Break a sweat. "Being even somewhat active appears to lower the risk of colorectal cancer, so I encourage people to do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three times a week," says Levin.

Decrease saturated fats. High levels of animal fat have been linked to colon cancer, notes Eyre. Substitute lean cuts of turkey, chicken or fish for red meat, and switch to non-fat and low-fat dairy products.

Kick the habit. Recent studies show that smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely than nonsmokers to die of colorectal cancer.

Head outdoors. People who live in the sunniest parts of the U.S. have some of the lowest rates of colon cancer, according to research compiled this year by the National Cancer Institute. Researchers suspect this is partly because of the body's synthesis of Vitamin D, which preliminary studies show may be protective against colon cancer. "We don't want to encourage people to bake at the beach, but it is perfectly reasonable to walk outside for 10 to 15 minutes a day in the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun's rays aren't as strong," says Levin.

Boost your fruit and veggie intake. "Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables appears to have a positive effect [change to appears to reduce the risk of colon cancer; ok with him?], but we're still unsure which vitamins and minerals are the most protective," says Eyre. One potential cancer superstar: black raspberries. This fruit prevented precancerous changes from turning into malignancies, according to a recent study at Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio.

Bone up on calcium. Several studies suggest that increasing calcium intake via supplements or low-fat dairy products may lower risk. Aim for 1,500 mg a day.

Pop a pill. If you've got a family history of colorectal cancer, ask your doctor about the benefits of taking a daily aspirin or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. Research shows that regular users may have a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer. "We still don't know the most effective dose or who should be taking them, so right now we're not routinely recommending this to the general
population," cautions Eyre.

#4 Obesity  Diabetes

About half of all American women are overweight or obese, according to the Surgeon General's 2001 Obesity Report. Overweight women are more likely to develop high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. They're also more likely to suffer problems such as osteoarthritis, respiratory difficulties and infertility, and are less likely to get some health screening tests.

Calculate your BMI.

Determine your calories. You can calculate your basal metabolic rate, or how many calories you burn at rest, by multiplying your weight by 12, says Hensrud. (Multiply it by 14 if you already exercise two or three times a week) Subtract 500 calories from the total amount. That's how many calories you can eat every day and still lose a pound a week.

Don*t fall for fad diets. Low-carb diets such as Atkins, Carbohydrate Addicts and Sugarbusters have been popular for years, but new research says carbs can help with weight loss. People who ate a high carb diet [certain types of carbs? complex?] (about 60 percent of their total daily calories) lost more weight because they consumed about 200 fewer calories daily, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. And the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), the largest study to date of those who maintain weight loss, has found that people who consistently keep off the pounds are those who follow about a 1,400 calorie diet that's roughly 55 percent carbs, 20 percent protein, and 25 percent fat. "The key is to get most of your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, which fill you up because they're high in water content and dietary fiber, but are also low in fat and calories," explains Cathy Nonas, R.D., director of the Van Itallie Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, in New York City and author of Outwit Your Weight (Rodale, 2002).

Get moving. Exercise is crucial for losing weight -- and keeping it off, says Jim Hill, Ph.D., director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, in city TK, and one of the lead researchers on the NWCR. "We found that on average successful losers burned about 2,800 calories a week in exercise, which translates into 69 minutes a day," he explains. But you don't have to sweat it out in the gym to see results: "Seventy-five percent of their activity was walking," says Hill.

Don't forget the dairy. Women who drank skim milk and ate nonfat yogurt and low-fat cheese three to four times a day reduced their body fat by up to 70 percent, according to a study published in the February [2002?] American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn excess fat faster," explains study author Michael Zemel, M.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.

Share the experience. Research has shown that people who maintain weight loss tend to have plenty of social support, whether it's through a program such as Weight Watchers, dieting with a friend, or getting encouragement from a spouse, says Hensrud.

Copyright 2005 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Latest update May, 2009                                             Other Health Information

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