by Women’s heart disease is a serious issue that requires more public awareness. Immediate Appeal of Women’s Heart Disease It is the leading cause of death for American women. Significant data points show that both doctors and women are unaware of it.
According to a 2019 survey of primary care doctors. Only 22% of them felt very well-prepared to assess female patients’ risks for cardiovascular disease. Only 44% of American women surveyed in 2019 agreed that heart disease was the leading cause of death for women. The same survey conducted ten years earlier, in 2009, revealed an alarming fall in awareness, with 65% of American women. Recognizing heart disease as the main cause of death for women.
According to recent research, a large proportion of adults may be unaware of vital health metrics. Such as blood sugar and cholesterol, that can be use to identify heart disease risk factors. According to a 2024 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center poll of adults in the United States. Only 35% of adults were aware of their blood pressure and 16% were aware of their cholesterol levels. However, the study found that 58% of respondents were aware of their childhood friend’s birthday.
Women’s Heart Disease Risk Factors
There are unique heart disease risk factors for women that do not apply to men. According to a statement release by the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiologist and researcher Nanette Wenger, M.D., “For the majority of the last century, Men were to be more susceptible to heart disease, whereas women were to benefit from cardioprotective effects of female sex hormones like estrogen. On the other hand, new research indicates that a significant number of heart disease risk factors are unique to or more common in women. The American Heart Association lists early menarche, early menopause, autoimmune diseases, anxiety, depression, and pregnancy problems as risk factors particular to a woman’s gender.
She clarified that a history of unfavorable pregnancy
In an email, West Virginia University associate professor Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D., underlined that pregnancy is a “critical window” for women’s cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular and metabolic demands of pregnancy, she note, “may reveal risk for diseases like diabetes and hypertension, However, it’s also feasible—though not yet prove—that having a difficult pregnancy might have a separate effect on the onset of maternal cardiovascular disease. She clarified that a history of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes can be link to a risk of cardiovascular disease that is over two times higher in later life.
To improve outcomes, it is critical to close information gaps about the relationships between long-term cardiovascular health and pregnancy.
Effective ways to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future for individuals who have unfavorable pregnancy outcomes are one area of unmet knowledge. “Evidence-based approaches that are tailored to the postpartum years (which often includes subsequent pregnancies) are lacking, despite the fact that we know these individuals are at much higher risk for poor outcomes,” stated Gibbs.
In order to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, Gibbs is attempting to determine the ideal levels of sedentary behavior, physical activity, and sleep patterns during the postpartum period. “We can work with these populations to prioritize the most effective interventions to support heart health during the postpartum period, and we are hopeful that we can identify which behaviors are most important for cardiovascular recovery following pregnancy,” the spokesperson stated.
Heart Disease Symptoms in Women
An essential component of saving lives is being aware of the symptoms of heart disease in women. During a heart attack, both men and women frequently suffer chest pain; however, women are more likely than men to experience additional symptoms unrelated to chest pain.These symptoms include dyspnea, vomiting, sweating, indigestion, unusual weariness, lightheadedness, and pain in the arms, shoulders, neck, and chest.
Women under the age of 55 exhibit distinct heart attack symptoms and a greater range of symptom combinations than men, according to a study published in February 2020. In an AHA statement, the study’s principal author, John Brush, Jr., M.D., stated, “As a doctor, you need to think more expansively if you’re looking at a woman.” She may not have the classic textbook combination of symptoms, such as sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain. The Pain radiating down the arm breathing difficulties and perspiration, which are frequently use as examples in textbooks.
Women frequently mistakenly believe that symptoms of heart disease are cause by other illnesses, like the flu, acid reflux, or age. Women may put off getting treatment for heart disease if they are unaware of its signs. Although the most typical heart disease sign for both men and women is still chest discomfort. Being aware of other heart disease symptoms can help women receive treatment more quickly.
Preventing Heart Disease
The majority of heart disease instances are avoidable. Wenger stated that between 80 and 90 percent of cardiovascular diseases can be prevent in an AHA statement. Early adoption of preventative measures may significantly lower the risk of premature heart disease, stroke, and associate death in women. Heart disease can be avoid by leading a healthy lifestyle that prioritizes physical activity. Avoiding tobacco products and maintaining a healthy weight also promote cardiovascular health. It also helps if a person is aware of her personal risks for heart disease and conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that could increase those chances. The AHA has identified the “Life’s Essential 8,” or the top 8 criteria, for cardiovascular health. These include eating a healthier diet, exercising more, giving up smoking. Getting enough sleep, controlling blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight.
Initiatives to Increase Knowledge and Comprehension
There are national campaigns to increase women’s awareness of heart disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) runs the Go Red for Women program to combat heart disease in women. In 2024, Circulation released its eighth annual Go Red for Women issue. Which included fresh findings on cardiovascular disease in women. The Heart Truth is a cardiovascular health education program offer by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Although there are initiatives in place to help women with heart disease ,Immediate Appeal of Women’s Heart Disease more is still need In a May 2022 article. The American Heart Association outlined a number of ways to enhance women’s heart health, some of which merit more attention here. Healthcare professionals need more and better gender-specific cardiovascular disease training if we are to make headway. Increased cooperation between obstetricians and gynecologists, cardiologists. Primary care doctors and other medical professionals to enhance women’s cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Further study is necessary to close knowledge gaps and enhance preventative and treatment approaches for gender-specific cardiovascular disease.
We also require more consciousness. It is possible to save lives by raising awareness of the signs and risk factors of heart disease in women. This message can be push through campaigns. Men and women can help by telling other men and women about it. Immediate Appeal of Women’s Heart Disease We will all be better off if we are aware of the risk factors and signs of heart disease in women. Including our moms, sisters, daughters, neighbors, and friends.
In the United States, heart disease claimed the lives of almost 300,000 women in 2021. Let’s make sure the figure drops significantly by 2031 and beyond.
