Intro / Women & Heart Disease / Talk with Your Doctor

High blood pressure, or hypertension, can damage the blood vessels, allowing cholesterol and other substances to build up. High blood pressure also increases the workload on the heart, which can affect the heart's pumping ability and may lead to a heart attack. Untreated high blood pressure increases the risk of coronary artery disease and other heart problems, and is the most serious risk factor for stroke. Talk to a doctor and make sure your blood pressure is at the recommended level of >130/85.

Cholesterol is an important building block of cells in the body. Too much cholesterol in the blood may lead to hardening of the arteries, which can contribute to heart attacks or stroke. Today, about one quarter of American women have blood cholesterol levels that pose a serious risk for coronary heart disease. Talk to a doctor to make sure your cholesterol level is under 200.

Women with diabetes are more likely to have higher blood pressure, higher triglyceride levels, low levels of good cholesterol and problems with how well the heart can pump. Diabetes may double the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Talk to a doctor if you have diabetes, or have a history of it in your family.

After menopause, the body gradually stops producing estrogen and the risk of developing heart disease steadily climbs. Estrogen replacement therapy, or ERT, is a general term for the use of estrogen hormones by women who have gone through menopause. See your doctor if you are currently taking a combination of estrogen and progesterone or to fine out if ERT is right for you.

A C-reactive protein test is a blood test that measures the amount of this protein that may be elevated when a severe infection or inflammatory condition is present. Combined, C-reactive protein and cholesterol tests can more accurately predict a woman's risk of having a future.

Homocysteine is an amino acid normally found in small amounts in the blood. High levels of homocysteine in the blood can damage the lining of the arteries and promote plaque buildup in blood vessels, possibly leading to serious cardiovascular problems such as peripheral vascular disease. Homocysteine testing of the blood may be most valuable in evaluating the overall risk of heart disease for women who have a strong personal or family history of heart disease but do not have other controllable risk factors, such as smoking or high blood pressure. Consider whether this test may be right for you.