The latest disease-fighting tips:
Condition
Tried & True
Studies Show
Heart disease
No. 1 cause of death in women
Exercise, quit smoking, and lower high blood pressure (with medication) to reduce risk factors.
Aspirin may help prevent heart attacks when taken daily in a low dose.
Colon cancer
No. 2 cause of cancer-related death in women
When diagnosed early, 90 percent of patients survive five years or more. Moderate exercise and a low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and fiber may help prevent it.
Calcium and folic acid also seem to decrease the risk of developing colon cancer.
HIV/AIDS
25 percent of sufferers are women
Practice safe sex and never share personal care items, especially needles.
Pregnant women who use AZT are nearly three times less likely to pass the virus on to their unborn children.
Stroke
No. 3 cause of death in women
Quit smoking, restrict salt intake, check blood pressure regularly and medicate if high, and consume no more than one alcoholic beverage per day.
Conditions that slow down the body's metabolism, such as hibernation and hypothermia, might provide clues to preventing brain damage in stroke sufferers.
Sources: www.healthywomen.org and www.womanheart.org.
