How can I reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke?

Doctors may diagnose carotid artery disease using a non-invasive carotid Doppler and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound exam. Specialized types of CT scan or MRI can also be used to visualize the arteries of the head and neck. Doctors treat the disease with antiplatelet medications and surgical treatments such as:

• Carotid endarterectomy: removal of the blockage through the neck.
• Carotid artery angioplasty and stenting: opening the artery with a balloon and placement of a mesh tube in the artery to keep it open.
• Bypass revascularization: rerouting the blood supply to bypass the obstruction.

• Blocking the abnormal vessels with "super glue" or tiny platinum coils to prevent bleeding.
• Placing a clip over an aneurysm to prevent it from growing or rupturing.
• Targeting AVMs with high-dose radiosurgery to close off the abnormal vessels.

Coronary heart disease is much more likely after menopause than before. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women; cardiovascular disease (including stroke) kills twice as many women as all forms of cancers combined, including breast cancer.We can reduce our likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease by participating in regular physical activity, quitting smoking or not starting to smoke, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a heart-healthy diet. Such a diet includes plenty of dietary fiber, minimizes trans fats and saturated fats, and replaces these "bad fats with unsaturated fats from fish and plant sources such as most vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. The long-term Nurse's Health Study found that women who increased their intake of unsaturated fats lowered their risk of heart disease by about 30–40 percent.