Heart disease is the number one killer and the cause of death in the world. It is estimated that 17.9 million people die from heart diseases. Taking care of heart health is the best way to avoid heart diseases. You may have usually seen older people with heart diseases especially shown in dramatic ways in movies or drama with hand gestures of holding their chest as signs of heart attack. Most men are shown to have heart diseases in such a way but in reality, women also have heart diseases even though they may usually show less dramatic symptoms of the typical heart diseases.
It is estimated that 45% of the female population do live with some form of heart diseases. Heart disease kills more women compared to the combination of all forms of cancer that kills women. It is estimated that 1 in 5 deaths of women can be blamed for heart diseases. Unfortunately, only 56% of women realise that heart diseases are the greatest danger to their life. While most people would assume that heart diseases affect older women, do younger physically fit women need to worry about heart disease?
Yes, they should. In fact, heart diseases can affect any woman of any age. It is true that as a person grows older, risk for heart diseases increase but in younger women with combination of smoking and taking birth control pills can increase risk for heart diseases b 20%. Heart disease is no longer a disease of unfit or overweight middle-aged individuals as it is also now a disease of young, fit and healthy women. It is not uncommon to see patients in their 30’s or 40’s that are fit and physically active with healthy lifestyles to have heart diseases especially when they do have family history of heart diseases.
Younger female patients may have developed heart diseases with no apparent symptoms or signs. At times, symptoms or signs of heart diseases are mild or often mistakenly as other harmless medical conditions. In general, females commonly report symptoms or signs of heart diseases not specific to heart diseases such as indigestion, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, cough, loss of appetite, headache and anxiety. These symptoms are not specific for heart diseases as it is completely different to the classic symptoms of heart diseases such as chest pain or chest discomfort and pain that spreads to jaw, neck, shoulder, arm or back. Women are less likely to experience the classic symptoms, making diagnosis of heart diseases difficult as women tend to brush things off or take symptoms and signs lightly.
Why do women tend to hink they are not susceptible to heart diseases? This could be the fact that the presence of estrogen hormones being the heart protectant. It is true that estrogen hormones do protect the heart from heart diseases by regulating blood pressure, reducing the bad cholesterol level and to maintain the blood vessel’s function. However, this might not be the case, at least not forever when a person reaches menopause or has gone through surgery such as ovarian and/or uterus surgery leading to low levels of estrogen. As a matter of fact, low level of estrogen leads to the high risk for heart diseases due to changes in the body such as low level of the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), high level of bad fat (lipid and LDL cholesterol) and changes to blood vessels’ function leading to formation of blood clots and fat plaque.
In younger females, estrogen hormones may have become a protective factor against heart disease but that does not mean the risk for heart diseases is null. Stress, poor eating habits and bad lifestyle such as smoking and drinking alcohol can definitely lead to high risk for heart diseases. Healthy younger females even with vigorous exercise should get checked for heart diseases when they do have family history of heart diseases.
Risk for heart diseases is not a definite precursor for heart diseases. Some women who do not have medicine prescriptions, no family history of heart diseases and are healthy in general, still suffer heart attack or heart diseases. This means that heart disease can be experienced by any female regarding their health status.
In essence, younger and physically fit females need to worry about heart disease. Heart diseases can affect any female regarding their age. Any symptoms or signs of heart diseases, although not the classic one, should be taken seriously. It should be considered an emergency until the female has been ruled out to be free from heart diseases. Females should make sure to at least get an ECG test before leaving clinic or hospitals after experiencing such symptoms. The best way to prevent heart diseases from becoming worse is to get regular health screening, specifically emphasising the heart. By doing this, heart diseases can be identified early on and treated better. Ask your local doctor for more information regarding women and heart diseases.
Also read – Dengue Prevention.
