Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. When we think of heart disease, we often tend of think of men dying from this killer disease more than women dying from it.The fact is that each year 500,000 American women die from heart disease.

Heart disease is the narrowing of the arteries that bring oxygen to the heart, heart failure, diseased heart muscles, birth defects of the heart, and other conditions.

Great strides have been made in determining the cause of heart disease, as well as the treatment of people suffering from it, and the prevention of heart disease. In the past, people didn’t see a doctor for preventative care, and unless a family member had heart problems or the patient showed symptoms and signs of it, a doctor usually didn’t mention anything about heart disease. Doctors today not only treat a patient with heart disease, they try to help prevent the patient from getting it.

As a woman ages, the risk increases for her having heart disease. Menopause changes the risk for women and heart disease. Before the onset of menopause, a woman’s body will go through the cycle of producing less estrogen, changes in her cholesterol levels, blood vessel structure changes, and her body will increase production of the clotting agent Fibrinogen.

Menopausal women are more likely to suffer from heart disease than a woman of the same age who has not yet experienced menopause. These same risks are associated with women who have had a hysterectomy.

No one really knows why a woman’s risk is increased due to these changes. There was a time that doctors recommended hormone replacement therapy to menopausal women to help battle heart disease.

To help prevent the risk of heart problems, a change of lifestyle is necessary. Despite the risks for heart disease, women are usually less physically active than men. While women are often knowledgeable on the causes and prevention of heart disease, the National Institute of Health says that 56 million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight.

Men and women alike can follow some simple guidelines to help ensure better health and a healthier heart. Good habits, such as maintaining a healthy weight by exercising regularly, eating less fattening foods, testing the cholesterol levels on a regular basis, and quitting smoking can tremendously help prevent heart disease. Some things in life are going to happen, such as menopause, and cannot be changed and are beyond our control. But diet and exercise, how we eat, can be changed and controlled.

One of the absolute best ways to prevent heart disease is to change the patients outlook on dieting and good fitness by having the patient not only become knowledgeable about the care of the heart, but also to put into practice what is learned. A good diet that is low in fat and calories helps to lower the cholesterol, which is a major risk factor concerning heart problems. A good doctor recommended exercise program and regular monitoring by the doctor helps the patient to lose weight, keep a healthy weight, and keep the heart functioning properly with better circulation.

Sometimes a good diet and following an exercise program simply is not enough and your doctor might prescribe different medications to help do such things as stave off high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, help prevent heart disease, etc. Routine monitoring is essential for proper care and to keep a check on other diseases that might complicate matters.

Because it is one of the leading killers of both men and women in America, the prevention of heart disease is the main concern for you and your doctor. By working closely with your doctor in prevention and treatment, by following a low fat diet and getting regular exercise, the battle to fight heart disease is one that can be won and not fought in vain.