Heart diseases are more common in women as compared to men in the US where a large number of women live with an underlying heart condition. This is a worrisome situation because unlike men there are no warning signs of these heart diseases in women. It adds additional danger to their health because most women are not even aware of their medical condition.
Despite the large number of deaths caused by heart diseases in women, only a few women report having an underlying heart condition. Many of them don’t even know that they have a heart problem and it is only diagnosed when there is a deadly attack.
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source estimates that one in five deaths in US women is linked with an underlying heart condition. A survey report published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
This survey reveals that even with the high risk of heart diseases in women, most of them don’t even know that they are at an increased risk of a heart attack.
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In addition to this, the awareness of heart diseases is also limited which explains why most of the women are not informed about their condition. They only know about what they are going through when they experience a heart attack or stroke.
With time, the trend of healthy eating and prioritizing self-care is declining. Despite the popularity of health-boosting products, women are not paying attention to their health and this is common in almost all ethnic groups.
The disinterest in a heart-healthy life and awareness of heart health is making the risk of heart diseases in women worse. despite the popular opinion, heart diseases are now common in younger women too.
The awareness regarding heart diseases is much lesser in some ethnic groups. CDC estimates Black women to be at nearly 60% increased risk of heart attacks as compared to white women. Of course, there are more factors involved in this high risk such as socioeconomic factors including health insurance, healthcare expenditures, cost of medicines, and counseling services.
Heart attack in women is different than a heart attack in men. Feeling discomfort is the same in both men and women but they are also likely to experience other signs that are not typically associated with heart attacks such as dizziness, nausea, or difficulty in breathing.
Women having heart diseases may also experience pain in the back, stomach or arms, cold sweats, vomiting, and jaw pain.
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The survey also reports that most women have no awareness regarding these heart diseases especially in non-Hispanic Black as well as Hispanic women. Based on the findings of this survey, it is clear that minority groups need awareness and education regarding heart diseases.
There are some additional risk factors for women with the risk of heart diseases. These factors include hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, inactive lifestyle, diabetes type 2, smoking, alcohol, or family history of cardiovascular diseases.
Women with or without these risk factors should follow the preventive measures for example, they should be encouraged to follow a heart-friendly lifestyle.