<International Circulation>: Heart disease is the number one killer in women. Is heart disease inevitable for women?
<International Circulation>: Heart disease is the number one killer in women. Is heart disease inevitable for women?
Dr Hochman: Fortunately it is not inevitable for women, just as it is not inevitable for men. If you look at the traditional risk factors – smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol – if you modify those, if you have no risk factors, then your risk for cardiovascular disease and death is much lower than with one, two, or multiple risk factors. Healthy lifestyle and modification of the risk factors confers less morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease for women and for men.