EmpowHer: Does the Atkins diet contribute to clogging arteries?

Dr. Richard Fogoros: Well, that’s still a question of some controversy. However, it’s beginning to look like the low-carb diets are at least not nearly as dangerous as cardiologists have always thought and in fact they may be beneficial in some people.

Dr. Richard Fogoros: Well, it’s critically important. As it turns out, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and I think more women are aware of this now than they were three or four years ago but just a few years ago. Surveys show that 60 percent of women considered breast cancer to be their biggest health risk.

EmpowHer: Dr. Rich, let’s talk about women who smoke, are on birth control and their increased chances risk of contracting heart disease over their lifetime. Talk to me about that.

EmpowHer: What should women do to reduce their odds of getting heart disease?

EmpowHer: What is diastolic heart failure?

EmpowHer: Why is heart disease in women more dangerous than men?