Guidelines for Preventing Heart Disease in Women
Friday August 21, 2009
Heart disease - and not cancer - is the number one killer of women in the U.S. Unfortunately, several studies have documented that many women do not receive appropriate attention from their doctors regarding heart disease - for either its treatment or prevention. The American Heart Association has published guidelines on preventing heart disease in women, and if docs aren't paying enough attention to them, then American women should. The guidelines for women are not quite the same as for men. Read about these recommendations here.
Comments
Dr. Rich,,
I need your help. I am in a real pickle. I asked my primary to check my CRP about 6 months ago. It was high 9.7. We rechecked it a few months later and it went to 7.3. We increased my Vytorin from 10/20 to 10/40 and after 1 1/2 months it is 9.9. My total chol. also went up from 209 to 233 with HDL 69 and LDL 128. I am 52 yrs. old, about 35 pounds overwt. but working on it. I have been doing Adkins and exercising. My dad died at 53 from generalized atherosclerosis. I have had HTN since age 37 (when I was not overwt.), my daughter who is now 26, 5′9 and 128 lbs. has had HTN since age 19. That’s why I asked for the CRP. My Doctor does not seem to know what to do with me. He is perplexed at how my numbers rose with increasing my vytorin. Now he wants to increase it again. Any suggestions. I have also had chronic headaches since early teens with no relief from any mgt. tried and chronic pain, mostly neck,back feet. All autoimmune studies have been negative. Please help!
I can’t give personal medical advice on-line. The reduction of cholesterol levels is often a trial-and-error affair. Increasing Vytorin seems reasonable given what you’ve described (and given that your doctor is still willing to use this stuff), but switching to another statin such as lovastatin or rosuvastatin might also make sense. In any case, treatment needs to be individualized, and you are experiencing one of the reasons this is true. Your doctor has not run out of options, and if he/she is stumped, time to get another opinion.