Women and Heart Disease
By: Robert NamTotal Views: 502, Word Count: 856,
Generally, people think that heart diseases are related to only men, but women can also get heart diseases. In reality, heart disease is the number one killer of women in America.
Heart diseases are very common among women. However, it is always misunderstood and underestimated by women and their doctors. They do not think of taking any steps of controlling the high death rates of women due to a heart disease.
About 8.6 million of women die every year due to heart disease. Death of women due to heart problems are more as compared to men. (11% v/s 8.2%). Near about 8 million women living in US are suffering from heart disease. Mainly 42% of women who gets heart attack die within 1 year.
If you ask any women, about which disease she is afraid off, answer will be breast cancer. The reality factor is very different, heart disease kills majority of women than any other disease. Usually, women are at a much higher risk of a heart disease, but their hormones protect them till they reach to the stage of menopause.
How women can protect her self from heart disease?
For women the biggest factors that contribute to heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure level, high cholesterol level, family history, and age. Spare some time to look at your life style, and general health problems.
Consult your doctor, if you have any potential problem and make plans to avoid it. Following are the factors, which will help to avoid or minimize the risk factor of a heart disease.
· Quite Smoking
Smoking is the main risk factor involved for heart disease in women. More than half of the heart attacks in women cause due to chain smoking. A woman who smokes and uses birth control pills increases the risk more.
· Control your Blood Pressure
Controlling your blood pressure will help in minimizing the risk factor for heart diseases. Losing weight, exercising regularly, eating a healthy food will tend to control your blood pressure. Reduce the intake of sodium/salt in food.
· Control cholesterol level
Diet is the important tool through which cholesterol can be controlled. Perform regular exercise and eat healthy food to control your cholesterol level. Also, consult your doctor.
· Do not be over weight
Being overweight puts an additional strain on your heart and arteries. Exercising regularly and eating a low fat diet will help you to lose weight. If you are overweight, it invites a higher risk for many health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.
· Regular exercise
Remember, your heart is a muscle and it needs daily exercise to stay in a proper shape. Aerobic exercise such as swimming, jogging, biking, and walking helps your heart to function better. You should exercise at least 30 to 45 minutes a day.
· Eat low fats in diet
Eat low calories food in diet and avoid saturated fats from diet. High quantity of fat level in diet increases the risk of heart disease.
· Take proper care of diabetes
If you are suffering from diabetes, regular exercise, weight control, low fat diet and regular doctor visit is must.
· Be attentive about chest pain
Be sure to contact your doctor immediately after a bit pain in your chest, shoulder, or neck. Also, do not ignore the shortness of breath problem, if any. The early you contact your doctor the less damage occurs to your heart.
· Know your family history
Family history is very important. You should have all the information of heart disease related to your family.
Why majority of women die due to heart diseases in the world?
- The main reason that lead women to die due to heart disease is they get heart disease later in life(old age).
- Women tend to get less treatment than men do, since typically they are not the main earning member of family. This issue is seen all over the world.
- A woman who smokes is at higher risk than a non- smoking woman.
- Women with diabetes are at three to seven times more risk of heart attacks as compared to men.
- After by-pass surgery, a woman doubles the chances of death than men.
- Typical symptoms of chest paining are not found in women related to heart attack. Therefore, they are not diagnosed correctly and in time.
- Women are more likely to die in the hospital than men are, because they receive less aggressive treatment.
This above information will surely guide you to know women and heart disease. All women can prevent the heart disease by following a healthy life style.
About the Author
Dr. Robert Nam is a well known heart specialist and has done postgraduate training in cardiology at the national heart hospital, the London chest hospital and UCL hospital, London. He was also engaged in research at the national heart and lung institute. Nowadays he is working as a consultant cardiologist at UCL hospital, London.
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