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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Warning! Heart Disease is more Deadly for Women than for Men!

By Jenny Rantoul

With better medical research of heart disease in women, we now know that the effects of common heart problems in men and women can be quite different.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is good to know that the healthy habits that prevent heart disease do so equally in both sexes.

This premise may come as a shock to many people. It seems it has always been taught that common heart problems are common mostly in men. That's why so much research has had such a male influence. Now, however, we find this is not true for women somewhere around age 65 and older.

Men tend to have heart disease seven or eight years earlier than women but after the age of sixty-five the risk is roughly even. According to a study, heart disease is the number killer of women of 65 or more of age. In addition, even with all types of cancer combined, American women are four to six times more likely to die of heart disease than cancer.

Women, generally, are much more aware of their own health than men are of theirs. It is odd then, that women are reportedly slower to recognize heart disease symptoms in themselves. This in turn means they seek treatment later in the progression of their disease. Women also have smaller blood vessels than men. All of this leads to the disturbing fact that if a woman has a heart attack, she is much more likely to die from it than a male victim. Researchers are still working out all the reasons this is true.

Family history is one of the first things your doctor will ask you about. Genetics plays a big part in developing heart disease, and this is particularly true for women. Another area where women have greater risk is in smoking. Smoking is a much greater cause of heart disease in women than in men (although it is a cause of common heart problems in men). This is made worse when the woman smoker is using birth control pills or home replacement therapy.

Proper diet should lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but if it doesn't, your doctor may prescribe a medication. Discuss it thoroughly and follow your doctor's advice. Keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol in check is really important.

Heart problems. Strokes. Diabetes. All of these are products of being overweight and eating a wrong diet. Make certain you exercise regularly and eat a heart healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet.

At least three times a week spend a minimum of twenty minutes doing healthy aerobic exercises. Bicycle riding, walking or swimming will raise your heart rate and cause you to break into a sweat. This will greatly reduce your stress and also contribute to your general health and a healthy heart.

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