What everyone should know about heart disease

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Dr. Oz's 4 Tips for a Heart-Healthy Attitude

The mind-body connection can play a big role in heart health, according to Mehmet Oz, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Columbia University-New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and founder/medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. He offers this advice for women:

1. Put yourself first.
“Women often don’t take care of themselves,” Oz says. “They put other priorities first, such as taking care of their families. When their health suffers because of that, their stress level may increase and their self-esteem may decrease.” A 2002 study at New York Presbyterian Hospital found that women rated poor self-esteem as the No. 1 barrier to making heart-healthy lifestyle changes, and stress as the second barrier. “It’s a vicious circle,” Oz says. “It’s imperative that women do what’s necessary to take care of their health first.”

2. Use stress-reduction techniques.
Studies show that stress has been linked to the spasms that can lead to heart attack. “And though studies show that women and men experience the same stress levels at work, when men go home, their stress levels drop, but women’s increase,” Oz says. “So women need to learn to cope with it. Whatever helps you relax, whether it’s meditation, yoga, massage, listening to soothing music—make time to do it.”

3. Change your diet.
Wean yourself off high-glycemic foods such as sugar, white rice, and bread and pasta made from white flour, Oz says. These foods can contribute to diabetes, a particularly severe heart disease risk factor for women. The second taboo is fried foods, because studies show that oils oxidize into damaging free radicals at the high temperatures used for frying. Eat lots of colorful vegetables and fruits for their free-radical-fighting antioxidants. “Healthy omega-3 fats found in oily fish or as a 2-gram supplement are great for the heart,” Oz says. “And drink lots of water to keep your system flushed, which may also reduce heart attacks.”

4. Have sex.
You already know that exercise reduces your risk of heart disease. The good news: Oz says sexual activity counts. “People are less likely to have a heart attack if they have an active sex life with their spouse.” Risk of death from coronary artery disease is about 50 percent lower among people with high orgasmic frequency (twice a week or more) than in people with low orgasmic frequency (less than monthly), concludes a study published in British Medical Journal. “People who have more than 100 orgasms each year live longer,” Oz says, “so having sex two times weekly is the magic number.”