Treatment depends greatly on the type of heart disease you have. Whatever your situation, optimal treatment relies on a combination of efforts that may include medication, medical procedures and lifestyle changes.
Most medical interventions such as cholesterol medication, angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery work well regardless of gender, but research has shown they are not always equally applied. Women are less likely to receive preventive medications and are less likely to be referred for invasive procedures such as angiography. This can be explained in part because women are usually diagnosed at a later age and are more likely to have other complicating factors, such as diabetes, but some of these differences also can be chalked up to the persisting lack of knowledge of the specific needs of women.
Lifestyle changes found to be consistently beneficial for promoting healing and preventing a recurrence of heart disease include maintaining a healthy weight, physical activity, improving diet quitting smoking and reducing stress. For lifestyle changes to be effective, patients must be active partners in their own care along with their healthcare providers. Your doctor can connect you to resources to help with all of these measures.
There are excellent resources available to help you make the right lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease. Learn more about treatment options, ask your doctor questions about the right procedure for you, and explore our dedicated programs.