Because women are at higher risk of heart disease later in life -- especially once they reach age 60 -- I'm not surprised at all to read about new guidelines issued this week by the American Heart Association.

These new recommendations come at a time when scientists estimate some 38 million American women are living with heart disease, and a growing number of health care professionals are coming around to the opinion they should be preventing and treating conditions that may happen over the course of a patient's lifetime, and not just until the next diagnosis.

The American Heart Association's basic guidelines are fairly accurate, although I believe they underestimate the benefits of vitamin D and omega-3 fats, and absolutely ignore the issue of elevated iron levels in postmenopausal women.

It's important to remember that any diet you follow should be tailored according to the foods your body burns best, based on its unique nutritional type. High-fat and high-protein food choices could be the worst or the best choice for you, it all depends on your nutritional type.

Additionally, along with the many safe and effective lifestyle changes women can make to reduce their risks of heart problems, it's also important to remind you the primary reason older women die from heart disease: After menopause, women stop menstruating and begin gaining excess iron. High iron levels will cause serious free radical damage. It is one of the easiest items to check for and FAR more of an important risk factor than cholesterol levels.

A simple blood test that measures ferritin levels can determine if your iron levels are dangerously elevated. I screen all patients at my clinic for it and have found a large number of people have dangerous levels. I would strongly advise you to have your doctor perform this simple and relatively inexpensive test for you.

The safest and most optimal way to eliminate any problems with iron: Donating your blood one to six times a year, depending on the amount of iron in your system.

Of course, normalizing your fasting insulin level is also another powerful and effective way to not only reduce your risk of heart disease, but also cancer. While you are getting your ferritin level done, please make sure you have a fasting insulin level done. If your level is above five you have some homework to do to lower it.

On Vital Votes, Pam from Wilbraham, Massachusetts adds:

"I heard a report on the news yesterday that the guidelines for women over 65 were going to change.  It stated that a women's LDL cholesterol should be no higher than 70 and that women should take a daily aspirin.  As a woman, who has struggled with heart disease, I am very upset that our nation's elderly women will further risk their health by these recommendations.

"Women respond differently to aspirin than men. I feel that these guidelines are only going to benefit the maker's of anti-cholesterol meds and aspirin and do more harm than good to the women following them.

"It is my prayer that more people will learn the truths that can be found on Dr. Mercola's web-site and that women and men will recover from heart disease and other problems as I have."

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