Knowing the Risks of Heart Disease
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), or heart disease, affects millions of people. And while men have been the focus of heart disease for some time, there are some misconceptions of women and heart disease. Did you know that the leading cause of women’s deaths is heart disease? The National Library of Medicine states: “the most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It’s the major reason people have heart attacks. Prevention is important: two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery”.
The American Heart Association lists several eye-opening statistics on women and heart disease:
-Cardiovascular disease (CVD) ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women.
- Nearly 39 percent of all female deaths in America occur from CVD, which includes coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
- 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 2003, CVD claimed the lives of 483,842 females; cancer (all forms combined) 267,902.
- In 2003, coronary heart disease claimed the lives of 233,886 females compared with 41,566 lives from breast cancer and 67,894 from lung cancer.
- 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.
What can women do to fight heart disease? First and foremost, women should be informed about the risks associated with age, lifestyle and family history. Then, they should take action to fight the factors against them. For example, if one works a job that requires minimal to no labor, she should make it a point to exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
What are you doing to prevent heart disease?
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