Cholesterol puts squeeze on women
Men not the only ones at risk for clogged arteries
When people meet Claire Blocker of Charlotte, N.C., they often say, “but you don’t look like someone who has heart disease.” Blocker is slim, she doesn’t smoke, she exercises regularly — and she’s a woman. Yet, at age 47 she suffered a stroke, followed by a heart attack and quadruple bypass at 51.
So why would a seemingly healthy woman be at risk for such devastating events in the prime of her life?
Well, as Blocker later found out, some people inherit a tendency for high cholesterol — and the problem does not affect men alone.
Regardless of whether inherited or acquired through diet, age or other factors, high cholesterol increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, which despite what many people might think, is the number one killer of women in the United States.
To read rest of article, click here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076459
Men not the only ones at risk for clogged arteries
When people meet Claire Blocker of Charlotte, N.C., they often say, “but you don’t look like someone who has heart disease.” Blocker is slim, she doesn’t smoke, she exercises regularly — and she’s a woman. Yet, at age 47 she suffered a stroke, followed by a heart attack and quadruple bypass at 51.
So why would a seemingly healthy woman be at risk for such devastating events in the prime of her life?
Well, as Blocker later found out, some people inherit a tendency for high cholesterol — and the problem does not affect men alone.
Regardless of whether inherited or acquired through diet, age or other factors, high cholesterol increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, which despite what many people might think, is the number one killer of women in the United States.
To read rest of article, click here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3076459