Women should take special care of their health in every stage of their lives. Maintaining a healthy life style is a key factor, it can decrease the risk of many diseases. Women should include healthy diet and exercise as a daily routine. Having a healthy weight, good nutrition and avoiding sedentary lifestyle reduces risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and many more chronic diseases. A cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke) is the leading cause of death for women. Overall, more women compare to men died from cardiovascular diseases. In 2005, 329,250 women died compare to 322,841 men died due to heart disease (Alexander, L. 2009).
In women heart disease or symptoms of heart diseases become present later in life compared to men. Men can start showing symptoms at an earlier age. One of the major reasons most women shows symptoms of heart disease later in life is due to loss of estrogen. Estrogen has been shown to have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system (Alexander, L. 2009). More women die from heart disease than men, heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading cause of death for women. 
Both men and women may experience symptoms such as; pain or discomfort in the chest region or, pain or discomfort in the upper torso, or shortness of breath or cold sweat, nausea, or dizziness. Compare to men, women are more prone to symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. In some cases women are not even aware they are having heart attack. In men plaque distributes in clumps whereas in women it distributes more evenly throughout artery walls. In result, more even distribution of plaque results in women's angiographic studies being misinterpreted as “normal” (Women and Heart Disease facts, n.d.). Women wait longer than men to go to an emergency room when having a heart attack and physicians are slower to recognize the presence of heart attacks in women because characteristic patterns of chest pain and EKG changes are less frequently present.
Heart disease can be prevented if women choose to live a healthy lifestyle. There are several lifestyle changes that can reduce risk of heart disease; exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day on most days of the week, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting or don't start smoking and, eating a diet that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.
References:
Alexander, L. (2009). Other Chornic Diseases and Condition. New Dimensions in Women's Health (5 ed., pp. 280-281). Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Women and Heart Disease facts. (n.d.). Women's Heart Foundation. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from http://www.womensheart.org/content/HeartDisease/heart_disease_facts.asp
I have to say that your blog was my favorite to read. I'm really glad you provided us with so many facts about cardiovascular disease and the symptoms people experience when they are having one. It was very interesting to read how woman wait longer to go to the emergency room than men do because most of the time they don't realize they are having one. I didn't know that the patterns on a EKG for woman show less frequently than that of a male. Very interesting! :)
ReplyDeleteCarla Keeley
I thought your blog was terrific. I loved the visuals, it was very informative and helpful. I think that it is critical for women to be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack, because they are different than the ones we typically associate with men. Also, I can understand women waiting out their symptoms because they are vague and delaying a trip to the ER. It helped to see the differences presented visually and the confirmation of regular exercise for prevention.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Amy Hicks
Susmani~
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog! So full of information and the comparison and contrast of men and women reagarding CVD was very interesting to read. You provided so many facts that I didn't know. Learn something new everyday! I didn't realize the plaque distribution was different: men (clumps) and women (spread throughout the body). This makes sense as a factor in why a heart attack can be a little more difficult to see in a woman. Great visuals as well, thank you! Heather