Heart Disease in Women - Article Example

Heart Disease in Women Cardiovascular diseases are the most common form of illness found today in the fast moving industrialized world. Heart diseases are caused when the heart muscle either dies or is damaged due to some infection or reduced blood flow. Some of the most common cardiovascular diseases are stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis, angina, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, endocarditis, peripheral artery disease, high blood pressure or hypertension. According to Marcelle Pick and Dixie Mills (2006), cardiovascular diseases are more common in the modern industrialized world where life has become more sedentary with reduced physical activity, increased hypertension, smoking and obesity. There is a general assumption among the greater population that heart disease is typically a “man’s disease”. Due to this assumption, in the past, all the studies were carried out on men. Women were included in the studies for cardiovascular diseases at a very later stage in 1971. For this reason even today women are not given greater attention on problems related to their heart. Women are being misinformed, misdiagnosed, and compromised in terms of their heart (cardiovascular) health. The truth, however, needs to be attended with timely intervention. The statistics of heart disease in women are quite alarming. Marian Sandmaier (2005) mentions some surprising facts about heart disease in women in The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women. According to her, every second woman in the United States dies of heart disease or stroke as compared to the one in thirty deaths due to the breast cancer. The statistics further states that thirty eight percent of women die within one year after the heart attack whereas, within six years, approximately forty six percent of women become disabled due to heart failure. Two third of the women population, suffering with heart disease, fail to make a complete recovery. There is a dramatic increase in the chances of women getting heart disease during midlife or the menopausal stage. The midlife statistics show one in fourteen women having some form of heart disease between the age of forty five and sixty. After sixty-five, the chances are increased to one in seven women. It is stated in the Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia that the year 1997 witnessed twice the number of women dying due to cardiac vascular disease as compared to the deaths from all forms of cancer combined. According to Marcelle Pick and Dixie Mills (2006), women become the victims of various heart diseases due to negligence, misconceptions and misunderstanding about the diseases. The most common misconception being the preposition that heart disease is predominantly a “man’s disease”. Even today, fewer than one in five physicians recognize the bitter fact that every year more women die of heart disease than men. The situation poses a serious threat to the lives of the women. Reviewing the literature of the past twenty years, it becomes clear that the mortality rates of men dying with heart diseases is declining whereas for women it remains the same. A major reason for the misconception is the fact that the symptoms of heart disease in women differ from those of men. As is observed by Pick and Mill (2006) in most cases the symptoms in women are not recognized or accepted until some major cardiac situation occurs. It is for this reason that women are mostly neglected and misguided. Their treatment is less aggressive and on most occasions they do not get any treatment at all. At the same time the same treatment criteria that is applied for men is used for women. Majority of the women are not even aware of the preventive measures without diagnosis or family history. The chances of heart disease in women become high during the menopausal stage when the level of “good” cholesterol declines. Still the women remain uninformed and are thus exposed to the greater danger. This reflects the bitter situation that women are being misguided, not informed, and are often compromised in terms of their heart (cardiovascular) health. It also explains the fact that each year nearly 500, 000 women are affected by the heart diseases of different kinds. According to Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia only eight percent of women in America are aware of the fact that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat. Even today many women are of the view that the greatest danger to their health is from the breast cancer, which is not the case. The blame for this misguiding notion that heart disease is a “man’s disease” can be put on the medical research that has focused its studies primarily on men. The changes are underway. However, even today many doctors fail to accept the symptoms of heart disease in women. This lack of knowledge related to the cardiovascular disease in women increased the physician’s misperception that females are less likely to develop cardiac diseases as compared to men. According to the statistics provided by JAMA, only eight percent of primary care physicians, thirteen percent of gynecologists and seventeen percent of the cardiologists are aware of the fact that more women in the United States die annually of heart diseases as compared to men. This is also due to the fact that the symptoms of heart disease in women differ from that in men. According to Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia a study carried out by Jean McSweeney and funded by National Institute of Nursing Research found out that in women generally the symptoms of heart attack appear four to six months before the heart attack. The survey of 600 female heart attack survivors showed symptoms different from those in men. The most prominent symptoms of heart attack in men include tightness in the chest, pain in arm and shortness of breath. In women the most common symptoms include nausea, fatigue and dizziness. However, the top most symptoms in black and white women included fatigue, disturbed sleep and shortness of breath, indigestion and anxiety. The survey also showed that black women had more severe and greater episodes as compared to white women. The participating women also disclosed the fact that they had a hard time convincing their physicians about the initial symptoms of heart disease. Their symptoms were often ignored or misdiagnosed and were treated as psychological symptoms of anxiety and depression. As stated by Marian Sandmaier (2005) in The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women, age becomes the greatest risk factor in women. The chances of women getting heart disease become greater after menopause because of the decline in the estrogen level. The protective effect of estrogen minimizes the chances of heart diseases in young women. Women with early menopause, either naturally or through hysterectomy have double the chances of having heart disease as compared to the women of the same age who have yet to experience menopause. In women, lack of estrogen at any age is a serious risk factor. Another important risk factor mentioned by Marian Sandmaier (2005) is the family history. A woman is more likely to get heart disease if her father or brother had a heart attack before the age of 55 or her mother or sister had a heart attack before the age of 65. Age and family history are the risk factors that cannot be changed. However, other risk factors that can be avoided include smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, lack of physical activities and diabetes. According to the Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia, postmenopausal women having hormone replacement therapy have increased risk of heart attack and death due to coronary artery disease. Once the symptoms are identified, it is essential for the women to take precautionary steps for their better health. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2000) disclosed the guidelines to minimize the chances of heart disease in women. The study was carried out on 84, 129 women free of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. For fourteen years the researchers observed the lifestyles of the participating women. The dietary habits, smoking, alcohol intake, sedentary or active life style were carefully recorded. The results showed that all the above factors individually and collectively contributed to the chances of getting heart disease. At the same time aging, family history, menopause, hypertension increased the chances of heart disease in women. The researchers concluded that among women, adopting a healthy life style, following the guidelines for diet and exercise and abstinence from smoking could reduce the chances of coronary heart disease. In conclusion, heart diseases in women are as common as in men. It is no longer a “man’s disease and is a great threat to both men and women. It is important for the women to develop an understanding about their situation. They need to ask their physicians about the signs and symptoms of heart disease especially if they have strong family history of the disease. Frequent check ups especially after menopause can help the women understand the condition of their heart. Once diagnosed with heart disease, women need to be assertive in requesting additional tests for further understanding of their situation. Women need to develop an understanding of the risk factors such as their life styles, family history and their general health. Although nothing can be done about the age factor and family history, still precautions can be taken to delay the event. Further research in the relevant field is essential for the better health of women and new medications and methods need to be introduced to eliminate the number one killer disease in America. References Miller, Kelli. “Heart Disease and Women”, Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia, Updated on April 27, 2004. Retrieved on June 12, 2006 from http://nlm.org/medlineplus/ency/article/007188.htm Pick, Marcelle. Mills, Dixie. “Cardiovascular Disease- What every woman should know”. (2006) Retrieved on June 12, 2006 from http://www.womentowomen.com/heartdiseaseandstroke/whateverywomanshouldknow.asp Sandmaier, Marian. “The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women”, U S Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. (2005) Pg. 6-11. Stampfer, Meir J. Hu, Frank B. Manson, JoAnn E. Rimm, Eric B and Willett. Walter C. “Primary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Women through Diet and Lifestyle.” New England Journal of Medicine, Number 1. Volume 343, (July 6, 2000). Pg. 16-22. “Summary of the second report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II)”. JAMA 1993; 269:3015-3023. Read More