|
woman which disease is she
most afraid of, and the reply you will usually get is ‘breast cancer’. The
reality however is very different; heart disease kills more women than any other
disease. This comes as a surprise to most, as heart disease was always thought
to be a ‘man’s disease’. In fact, women are as much at risk for heart disease as
men are, but are protected by their hormones till they reach menopause.
Another sad
statistic is that a much larger percentage (42%) of women die within one year
after having a heart attack, as compared to men (24%). The reasons for this are
not well understood. One possible explanation is that women tend to get heart
disease later in life and are therefore more likely to have coexisting chronic
conditions. Some other little-known facts about women and heart disease are:
Safety Tips
- Women who
smoke are at a risk of having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking
women.
- Women with
diabetes are three to seven times more likely to have heart attacks.
- Women are
almost twice as likely as men to die after by-pass surgery.
- Women often do
not have the typical symptoms of angina (chest pain radiating to the arms) or
other symptoms associated with a heart attack. Therefore they are often not
diagnosed correctly and in appropriate time.
- Women are 20%
more likely than men to die in the hospital following a heart attack.
- Women receive
less aggressive treatment than men for their heart disease.
HORMONE-REPLACEMENT THERAPY
One area of
women’s health which has perhaps generated the maximum amount of controversy and
confusion is hormone replacement therapy. Until recently it was thought that
this therapy consisting of estrogen and progestin in varying combinations was
protective for the heart. However, results from recent studies have contradicted
these findings. The current scientific recommendations for hormone replacement
are:
- This therapy
should be started only after consultation with a physician, preferably the
gynecologist
- Relief from
the symptoms of menopause should be the primary reason for taking hormone
replacement therapy
- Hormone
therapy should not be used to prevent heart disease
- Hormone
therapies have been shown to help build stronger bones; however, women should
weigh the risks of hormone therapy before taking it to prevent osteoporosis
|
