Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) do not only affect men and in some cases, their effects may be even worse for women.
It is the leading cause of female death, with more than two million premature deaths each year. The good news is that most CVDs can be prevented.
Be aware of some facts:
- CVD represents one third of all deaths among women
- Some of the symptoms in women can be different from men and, as a result, are often underdiagnosed and undertreated when compared to men
- The risk of dying or being severely disabled due to heart disease or stroke is largely underestimated in women
- CVD affects women of all ages. For younger women, the combination of birth control pills and smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 20%.
- Although the risks increase with age, there are behaviours that matter even more and that can be avoidable, such as obesity and physical inactivity. Both situations are the greatest precursors for deposits of atherosclerotic plaques and clogging of the arteries.
- 64% of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms and those who do have them often have different manifestations than men.
- It is common to believe that the tell-tale sign of a heart attack is extreme pain in the chest. But in reality women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and pain in the back or jaw. Other symptoms that women may experience are dizziness or fainting, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen and extreme fatigue.
7th May 2021
7, May 2021