Prevent a Heart Attack:

A His and Hers Guide Hearts are different in men and women. Here's the best advice for you bothIntroThe idea that men and women are different is certainly not news. One popular book even suggests that we come from different planets. But research suggests that it's more than plumbing and light years that separate us: Our wiring is different too; in particular, that set of wires and pumps known as the cardiovascular system. When we asked leading heart doctors to tell us how you can attack-proof your heart, they nixed a one-sex-fits-all plan in favor of this "his and hers" approach. But they also asked us to remind you of one way that we're all alike: Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. So share this article with the heart that's dearest to you. Her Plan: No More Queen of DenialOne out of every three women currently under 40 will eventually develop heart disease; more than 450,000 women of all ages died from it in 2004--11 times as many as died from breast cancer. And almost 40 percent of all women in the U.S. live with heart disease. Didn't know that? You're not alone.
"In the past, many doctors didn't know that heart disease was a major cause of death in women, let alone the leading one," says Marianne J. Legato, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. "Although awareness and treatment have improved somewhat, especially in large cities, the death rate from a first heart attack is twice as high in women under 50 as it is for men1 of the same age." The bottom line: It's up to you to ask for more tests or seek another opinion if you feel that your doctor is dismissing your concerns, risks, or symptoms. Think Down With Cholesterol Aim for a total cholesterol of less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), an LDL (bad) of 130 mg/dl or less, an HDL (good) of 45 mg/dl or higher, and triglycerides of less than 150. "For women, a low HDL is much more predictive of heart disease than a high total cholesterol," says Debra Judelson, MD, medical director of the Women's Heart Institute at the Cardiovascular Medical Group in Los Angeles. "HDL over 60 mg/dl is a positive protector against heart disease," adds Dr. Legato. It may edge your total cholesterol up, but you're still protected against heart disease if your total cholesterol/HDL ratio is 4.0 or less. Dr. Judelson suggests that you ask your doctor to tack on one more measurement to your regular cholesterol test: lipoprotein (a), a protein strand that's attached to bad cholesterol molecules. When researchers from the Framingham Heart Study tested these levels in more than 3,000 women, they found that participants with lipoprotein (a) above 30 mg/dl doubled their risk of heart disease. By Karen Cicero , Karen Cicero writes about nutrition and healthfrom her home in Bethlehem, PA.