Women who practiced all six healthy lifestyle choices were able to lower their risk of suffering a heart attack by 92 percent and lower their risk of developing a risk factor for heart disease by 66 percent.
The research team determined that three-quarters of heart attacks and around half of all risk factors in women could be prevented by adhering to all six healthy lifestyle choices.
If a woman was diagnosed with a heart disease risk factor, practicing at least four healthy lifestyle choices significantly lowered her risk of going on to develop heart disease.
"This is an important public health message," Chomistek added. "Women should begin following these lifestyle practices early in life, especially if they are already taking medication for a risk factor such as hypertension or high cholesterol. It's an easy way to prevent future heart trouble."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every four female deaths is attributed to heart disease, making it the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. Key risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking. Nearly half of all Americans have at least one of these risk factors.
Although findings from this study suggest adopting all six healthy lifestyle choices is the best way to prevent heart disease, researchers concluded that adopting at least one could still lower a woman’s risk for cardiovascular complications. CONTINUE READING
MEDICALDAILY
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