How can heart disease be prevented or controlled?
Treatment includes lifestyle changes, management of risk factors, medication if needed and revascularization to bring more blood flow to the heart through angioplasty with stents (PCI) or bypass surgery. High blood pressure can be improved with weight control, limited salt intake, exercise and decreased stress. Blood sugar control can be improved with proper food choices and weight control. Lipid levels can be improved with healthy eating and exercise. Keeping your body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 and your waist circumference under 35 inches is imperative. On the controversial question of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), Dr. Larame outlined the latest recommendations. In short, HRT is the most effective treatment to control menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings but not heart disease. Therefore, HRT should be used to manage moderate to severe menopausal symptoms, using the smallest effective dose for the shortest possible period of time. Dr. L
