Apples for Health- Heart risk should be woman's top priority

Heart risk should be woman's top priority

DALLAS, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Heart disease claims nearly twice as many women's lives as all forms of cancer per year, but U.S. researchers aren't exactly sure why.

"There are many theories as to why women have a higher mortality rate from heart disease," Dr. Elizabeth Holper, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says in a statement. "Research has demonstrated that patients who know the status of their risk factors, including cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and who control these risks, do better in the long term."

Other ways women can reduce their risk of heart disease include quitting smoking, lowering the amount of saturated fat in their diets and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day.

"Most of all, talk with your doctor about your risk," Holper advises. "It should be a top priority."