linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.
If you have a history of breast cancer or any cardiovascular disease, or the more risk factors you have, “then the chance that hormone replacement therapy could be not a good thing for you is higher,” Okwuosa adds.
Talk to your healthcare team about the risks and benefits of options for managing menopause symptoms to find the best treatment strategy for you.
RELATED: Could Mammograms Predict Your Chance of Developing Heart Disease?
Knowing if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes – and then working with a health care professional to treat it – can help prevent those conditions from causing heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions.
The AHA advises blood pressure screening for adults at each regular healthcare visit or once a year if blood pressure is normal. It also recommends cholesterol screening every four to six years, starting at age 20, for adults at normal risk for heart disease and stroke, or more often for those at elevated risk. For diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends screening starting at age 35, or sooner for those at elevated risk.
Although mammograms cannot prevent breast cancer, they can help detect it early. For women at average risk for breast cancer, the cancer society recommends annual mammograms starting at age 45, with the option to start at age 40. Women 55 and older can switch to every other year or can choose to continue yearly mammograms.
Knowing your family history for breast cancer and cardiovascular problems is a big part of determining when and what type of screening you might need, Barac says.
Overall, she adds, once healthcare professionals understand your personal and family medical history, “we can use lifestyle medicine, in particular exercise and diet, to empower women and prevent cancer and heart disease.”
By the American Heart Association
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