Ask a Dietitian

Heart disease accounts for 1/3 of deaths in women and is the #1 killer of women worldwide. Moreover, a women’s risk of dying after a heart attack or stroke is greater than that of a man. Many women are not well educated when it comes to their risk of heart disease and how to prevent it. Prevention is key; the 3% of women who don’t smoke, exercise regularly and are at an ideal body weight have an 83% lower risk of heart disease.

Who is at risk? People who smoke, are overweight or obese, inactive, have a poor diet, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia or metabolic syndrome are at risk of heart disease. The more risk factors the greater the risk.

Desirable Blood Lipid Levels
LDL < 2.6 mmol/L
HDL > 1.3 mmol/L
TG < 1.7 mmol/L
HgA1c < 7%
Blood Pressure < 120/80mmHg

High LDL cholesterol is a greater risk factor for men than women. Low HDL cholesterol is a significant risk for both men and women, but what increases risk for heart disease more for women than men is a high blood pressure and diabetes.

Recommendations:
Stop smoking, get active regularly including 30-60 minutes of exercise daily, adopt a healthy diet and achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. A healthy body weight can be assessed as a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 and a waist circumference of 35″ or less.

Dietary Recommendations:

1. Consume at least 7-8 servings of vegetables and fruit. One serving is equal to 1/2 cup.
2. Choose to eat more whole grains and high fibre foods
3. Consume fatty fish at least twice a week
4. Limit or avoid trans fats (max 2g/day)
5. Limit saturated fat to less than 10% and 7% would be even better.
6. Limit dietary cholesterol to no more than 300mg per day
7. Limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink per day
8. Limit sodium to less than 2.3g per day
9. Consider a supplement of fish oils containing 850-1500mg EPA and DHA combined. For treatment of high triglycerides, consider 2-4g/day.

The Bottom Line:
Get active, quit smoking and pay attention to your food choices at home, work and play. You’re worth it!