Heart Disease- The Number One Cause of Death in Women.

Heart Health Heart disease results in twice as many deaths for women than all types of cancers, including breast cancer. Heart disease can present differently in women than in men and increases significantly in postmenopausal women. After the age of 55, most women have gone through menopause and are no longer producing estrogen which helps increase HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and decrease LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). Microvascular disease (aka Syndrome X) is also more prevalent in women and can be present in women with normal angiograms. If your waist measurement is greater than 35 inches, blood pressure higher than 130/85, HDL < 50 mg/dL, triglycerides > 150 mg/dL, fasting blood sugar > 110 mg/dL then you may have what is known as Metabolic Syndrome. This occurs in approximately 23% of women and increases the risk of coronary artery disease and