Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both women and men. In addition, there are some dramatic and disturbing statistics that show that heart disease, and heart attack in particular, is dangerous for women.
For example:
- Women are more likely than men to die of heart attack.
- Women who survive heart attack have a greater risk than men of suffering another heart attack.
- Female heart attack survivors are more likely than male survivors to become disabled with heart failure.
- Women, who have bypass surgery, face twice the risk of dying when compared with men who undergo the same surgery.
- Women are less likely than men to think they are having heart attack and are likely to wait before getting the emergency care that could save their lives.
- Women still believe that more men die from heart attacks than women.
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One reason women may not realize that they are suffering heart attack is that they often do not experience the “classic” heart attack symptoms (chest pains, discomfort in the upper body and shortness of breath) that are common in men.
Chest pain or pressure is the most common heart attack sign in women. They are also more likely to feel unusual fatigue, dizziness, sweating and other less obvious symptoms. Sometimes pain in shoulder/upper back and even heartburn can warn you of the heart problem but women often misunderstand them. If these symptoms may start weeks before they have a heart attack.
If you have any heart disease or might have one, it is important to do these following:
• Manage your high blood pressure
• Eat carefully to avoid high cholesterol
• Control diabetes which increase your risk for heart attack.
The doctor would encourage you to quit smoking, eat healthier foods, lose excess weight, or start a regular exercise schedule.
If you are not crazy over exercise, the best thing is to walk more than 30 minutes every day. |
| American Heart Association states that heart disease that causes heart attack is women's number one killer. |
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32% American Women die from heart failure deaths |
| 10% |
Ages 45-64 |
| 25% |
Ages 65+up |
| 13% |
Ages 45+ had previous heart attack |
| |
267,000 women die from heart attack each year -
6 times than women with cancer |
Source:
the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
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Once menstruation ends, any women tend to get different health problems that they never had before because menstruation helps shed blood monthly, and maintain their good female health.
Since any women are going through menopause, and no longer have monthly menstruation, their blood supply increases, and overthrow their health balance.
Women have to be careful about their own health especially high blood pressure that can lead to a stroke, heart disease or heart failure. |
