What can be done to reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women?
First and foremost, “traditional” risk factors should be addressed. Women with the lowest risk of heart disease are those who: • Avoid or quit smoking • Lose weight and/or maintain their ideal body weight • Participate in aerobic exercise for 30 to 40 minutes, three to five times per week • Follow a diet low in saturated fat (<7 percent daily amount); low in trans-fat (partially hydrogenated fats such as margarine or shortening); and high in fiber, whole grains, legumes (such as beans and peas), fruits, vegetables, fish, and folate-rich foods • Treat and control medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure that are known risk factors for heart disease For many years, preliminary observational research showed that HRT could possibly reduce the risk of heart disease in women. It appears that the reason the observational studies showed women on HRT had less heart disease was likely due to the lifestyles of women who take HRT, rather than the medical benef