Women and Heart Disease
Worldwide cardiovascular disease is the single largest cause of death among women, accounting for 1/3 of all deaths.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women.
- 43.3 percent of all female deaths in America and most developed countries occur from CVD, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
- CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women. The death rate due to CVD is substantially higher in black women than in white women.
- In 1997, CVD claimed the lives of 502,938 females; cancer (all forms combined) 258,467.
- In 1997, coronary heart disease claimed the lives of 228,769 females compared with about 41,943 lives from breast cancer and 63,210 from lung cancer.
- 38 percent of women compared with 25 percent of men will die within one year after a heart attack.
- Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability; an estimated 15 to 30 percent of stroke survivors are permanently disabled.
- Misperceptions still exist that CVD is not a real problem for women.
Women Lack Understanding of Their Risks
In a recent survey, 1/2 of U.S. women compared with 1/5 in an earlier survey were aware of their increased risk of heart disease.
Heart Attack Warning Signals for Women
"Classic" signals of heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in the arm, nausea, and sweating. But, there are less common signals that women may have like abdominal or back pain, unusual fatigue, or sense of impending doom.
Women and Menopause
Hormone therapy should not be initiated or continued to prevent cardiovascular disease in post menopausal women pending the results of ongoing trials.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
1. Non-modifiable: age and family history of heart disease.
2. Modifiable: smoking, high cholesterol panel, high blood pressure, physical inactivity/obesity, diabetes.
Knowledge is power
To ensure that you get the latest and most accurate information, take charge of your health. Make it a point to ask your doctor about the risks you face as a woman and the preventive measures you should take. Nothing could be more important than arming yourself with the knowledge to battle heart disease. Knowledge, coupled with action, is power!
**Thank you to the American Heart Association**
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