Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women in the United States. Nearly one in five women will die due to it, and cardiovascular disease also claims more women’s lives than all cancers combined, said Dr. Jennifer Haythe, who is the co-director of the Women’s Heart Cancer and director of Obstetrics Program at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Women are less likely than a decade ago to recognize the risk of their heart simply, and nearly 44% of the women are aware that cardiovascular disease is their biggest health threat. Understanding women and heart disease risks helps you prevent harmful heart issues. Dr. Haythe spoke about what women and gender non-conforming people need to know about how to protect their hearts.
More Younger Women are Developing Heart Disease
Over the past 20 years, there has been an alarming rise in the heart diseases of women between the ages of 35 and 54. Although the cause is unknown, top doctors believes that it might be connected to higher stress as women’s status in the workforce has increased. Risk factors like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol are becoming more common in today’s young women.
Women and their heart disease
Now, we have a better understanding of the spectrum of cardiovascular disease in women, said Dr. Haythe. Traditional coronary artery disease is a prevalent form of heart disease in women and men, and women are likely to have lots of other types of heart disease.
These generally include microvascular dysfunction, which damages the tiny blood vessels feeding the earth; vasospasm, and a sudden narrowing of the blood vessels, which can block the blood flow into the heart; and SCAD, which is a teat that will form into the blood vessel in the heart and stopping the blood flow. SCAD is life-threatening and also causes the heart attack as well.
Women can have Different Heart Attack Symptoms.
During a heart attack, men and women may experience the classic chest pain symptoms. The women may tend to have less typical signs like shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, severe fatigue, and back or jaw pain, said Dr. Haythe.
When women think that they have a heart attack, they are slower to seek help, and it is essential to call someone immediately and get immediate care.
Women May Need to Self Advocate to Get the Care They Need
Research shows that women will wait longer than men after arriving at the emergency department to have their chest pain assessed simply and are less likely to get the electrocardiogram test to detect heart issues. Sometimes, women are required to make their voices heard when their needs are not met. You could simply say that you are concerned about your heart because you have noticed that you are having trouble breathing. Hence you want a test of your heart.
After the heart attack, women are not prescribed the appropriate medication or guardian rehabilitation, said Dr. Haythe. They are not getting implantable defibrillators to control irregular heartbeats at a similar rate. They are also less likely to get some treatment for heart failure or get heart transplants. You can simply ask your doctor if you are getting the best treatment for your issues.
Women Have Unique Causes of Heart Disease
More women than men are affected by autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, which are linked with a high risk of heart problems. The treatment for breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer may increase the heart disease risk in women. Some of the conditions, like depression, are linked with heart disease in women, which is quite frequent in women, and using oral contraceptives will increase the risk as well.
The Heart is Put to the Test During Pregnancy
Lots of pregnancy conditions will increase heart issues in the future. These may include diabetes and high blood pressure, which develop during pregnancy, and preeclampsia, which is a severe type of hypertension. Generally, these conditions mainly occur after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The women who experience these conditions need to let their doctors know and ensure that their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are checked every year.
Heart Disease Rises After Menopause
The cardiac problem will increase with age, accelerating after menopause. Entering into menopause before the age of 40 also raises the women’s risk of heart disease. When the women lose the protective effect of the estrogen, then they simply start developing more coronary disease and also cardiovascular illnesses as well.
Final Verdict
Above, we have covered the reasons and solutions for women and heart health. We hope that this article becomes valuable and helpful for you to know all the information about heart issues in women, then share this guide with others so that other women can be able to take care of their hearts easily.
FAQs
Which heart condition affects women most frequently?
Coronary artery disease is among the most common forms in women. And heart attacks are largely caused by it, as it is most common in the US. It usually happens when plaque builds up in the arteries, preventing the heart from receiving enough blood.
Can a Healthy woman have a heart attack?
Women may get heart attacks at older ages as compared to men. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity, and stress will raise the risk of heart attack in women more than in men. Women are more likely than men to have heart attacks which aren’t caused by coronary artery disease.
Which four symptoms show that your heart is slowly failing?
Breathlessness after exertion or at rest, constant tiredness and fatigue from intense exercise, dizziness or fainting, and swelling of the ankles and legs are all signs of heart failure.
What Causes Heart Disease in Women?
Lots of traditional risk factors there, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, affect women and men. Other factors may play a vital role in heart development disease in women, and heart disease risk factors for women generally include diabetes.