More women die of heart attacks than men
| Apr 2, 2019, 11:53 IST
As saddening as it sounds, it is true that women die from heart attack more often than men. And cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the the first and foremost cause of death in both men and women. One women dies of a heart attack every minute in the U.S., shows a statistics from the American Heart Association (AHA).
On a lighter note, about 80% heart attacks and strokes can be cured by change in lifestyle. Although, fewer women than man survive the first attack. And this is because the disease symptoms in women are different from those in men and even physicians can misread the subtleties.
Since women started entering the workforce, the number of them dying of heart attacks increased after the late 1980s. Says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of cardiovascular prevention, health and wellness at Mount Sinai in New York City and a volunteer medical expert for the AHA’s Go Red for Women movement, “There was just added stress, pressure and challenges, with women tending to put themselves last and pay attention to their own needs less.” However, there are other experts who say that there are no such evidences which point at working women being more prone to heart attacks than women who don't work.
It is also very important for women to self-monitor like men, where they should keep a track on their blood pressure and cholesterol levels too. Women who are or have been pregnant should also consider complications of pregnancy or persistent high blood pressure as a high risk for CVD.
On a lighter note, about 80% heart attacks and strokes can be cured by change in lifestyle. Although, fewer women than man survive the first attack. And this is because the disease symptoms in women are different from those in men and even physicians can misread the subtleties.
Since women started entering the workforce, the number of them dying of heart attacks increased after the late 1980s. Says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of cardiovascular prevention, health and wellness at Mount Sinai in New York City and a volunteer medical expert for the AHA’s Go Red for Women movement, “There was just added stress, pressure and challenges, with women tending to put themselves last and pay attention to their own needs less.” However, there are other experts who say that there are no such evidences which point at working women being more prone to heart attacks than women who don't work.
It is also very important for women to self-monitor like men, where they should keep a track on their blood pressure and cholesterol levels too. Women who are or have been pregnant should also consider complications of pregnancy or persistent high blood pressure as a high risk for CVD.