Published July 2003
Heart disease a serious threat to women
By
Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor
The leading killer of women in the United States isn’t cancer — breast, cervical or lung. It doesn’t attack in dark alleyways or drunkenly roar down a highway at 100 miles per hour. But it does hide behind the misconception of being a “man’s disease,” even as it kills more than 500,000 women annually.
The killer is cardiovascular disease, which includes ailments of the heart and blood vessel system such as coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, and atherosclerosis that can lead to heart attack and stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, 41.3 percent of all female deaths in the United States occur from cardiovascular disease. In 2000, coronary heart disease alone killed 254,630 women, compared with 41,872 women who died from breast cancer and 65,052 who died from lung cancer.
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More about cardiovascular disease Statistics:
n 38 percent of women compared with 25 percent of men will die within one year after a heart attack. n Cardiovascular disease ranks first among all disease categories in hospital discharges for women. Most common
forms of cardiovascular disease: n Atherosclerosis — a type of arteriosclerosis, or thickening and hardening of the arteries. Inner walls of the arteries become narrower due to a buildup of plaque, resulting from deposits of fat, cholesterol and other substances. Blood clots form, blocking blood flow, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. n Coronary heart disease — the most common form of heart disease, affects the blood vessels of the heart, causing angina and heart attacks. n Angina — a pain or discomfort in the chest that occurs when some part of the heart does not receive enough blood. n Stroke — caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain due to a blood clot or bleeding in the brain from a broken blood vessel. Without a good blood supply, brain cells cannot get enough oxygen and start to die. — The American Heart Association and the National Women’s Health Information Center |
“One in three women will either suffer or die from a heart attack or cardiovascular problem, whereas, depending on which report you read, one in eight or one in nine women will suffer or die from breast cancer,” said Dr. Christopher Price, a board-certified cardiologist with The Everett Clinic.
But a 1997 survey conducted by marketing consultant Yankelovich Partners Inc. found that only 8 percent of American women saw heart disease and stroke as a serious threat, while more than half identified cancer as the greatest health problem facing women.
That lack of awareness can be attributed to a lack of education, Price said, not only of cardiovascular disease’s prevalence among women, but also risk factors and symptoms.
While some people are born with heart defects, others develop cardiovascular disease over time, whether it’s because they run a higher risk due to heredity or lifestyle choices — eating foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol, not getting enough exercise, or a combination of the two, Price said.
“There are two different types of risk factors: the ones you can modify and the ones you can’t do anything about,” he said. Like age. The risk of heart disease and stroke begins to rise as women get closer to menopause, and the risk continues to rise with age, Price said, noting that the loss of estrogen during that time may contribute to the higher risk.
“On average, women tend to develop heart disease 10 years later than men do,” he said. Heredity brings with it other risk factors, as people who have a family history of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure or angina, are more likely to develop it themselves, according to the AHA. And race can be a factor, too, with African-Americans at greater risk due to higher average blood-pressure levels.
Then there are actions women can take to cut their risk of developing heart disease and stroke, according to the AHA, including:
- Quitting smoking. Women who smoke have up to six times the risk of heart attack compared to nonsmoking women.
- Eating healthfully, cutting down on foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, prime contributors to atherosclerosis; and monitoring sodium intake, which can lead to high blood pressure in some people.
- Exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, as excessive body fat increases the strain on the heart and brings with it a higher risk for developing heart disease and stroke.
- Having regular medical checkups and keeping tabs on blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Keeping a tight rein on diabetes, as more than 80 percent of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
Along with knowing how to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, women need to know the symptoms of heart attack and stroke — and that those symptoms aren’t always the same for men and women, Price said.
While some women do present the “classic” symptoms of heart attack, such as tightness in the chest, chest pain or arm pain, others will experience a shortness of breath upon exertion, nausea, back or jaw pain, or dizziness.
Not realizing their shortness of breath is due to a heart attack, women might dismiss their symptoms “as gaining weight or being out of shape” and not seek medical attention until too late, Price said.
As for stroke, symptoms occur suddenly and can include numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, usually on one side of the body; trouble speaking or understanding; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; dizziness or trouble walking; or a severe headache.
Knowing the signs can get women to seek medical help while there’s still a chance to minimize damage or save a life, Price said.
“Again, it’s an education issue,” he said.
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