Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in women. About 70,000 women die each year due to some cardiovascular pathology, about 10,000 more women than men each year.
Society is not aware that ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and causes 10 times more deaths than breast cancer. Dr. Miren Morillas Bueno, an adult cardiologist, tells us more about cardiovascular diseases and how they affect women.
Why do cardiovascular diseases affect women more?
Cardiovascular disease presents many differences between men and women. The initial presentation of ischemic heart disease in women is, more frequently, angina pectoris, while in men it is infarction.
But the differences are not only seen in the different pathologies, there are also differences in sex, gender, roles and cultural norms. The biological differences are based on heart rate, as women tend to have a heart rate three to five beats faster than men. In addition, the cardiac cavities are smaller in women and the coronary arteries are narrower.
There are also gender differences, as women are subjected to psychosocial stress, although less and less so. This type of symptom is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Diagnosis and symptoms
Symptoms may not be very clear, which is why women often delay seeking medical attention. For this reason, it is important that electrocardiograms are performed periodically for early diagnosis. As for the symptoms, they can be:
- Central thoracic pain and tightness, with irradiation to the left arm, neck and back…sometimes it can move to the abdominal area.
- There are also atypical symptoms where women present with jaw pain, interscapular pain, general malaise or nausea and often fatigue or shortness of breath.
Prevention in 3 steps
- Leading a healthy lifestyle, low-salt Mediterranean diet and regular moderate exercise. Stopping smoking and alcohol.
- Performing preventive studies of cardiovascular risk factors: high blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides and glucose or diabetes.
- Reducing stress levels, since negative states can cause less self-care. This translates into neglecting one’s health, thus increasing the levels of classic cardiovascular risks mentioned above.
Getting back to normal after the first heart attack
During the first year there is an increased risk of suffering another infarction, especially in middle-aged women between 60-65 years of age who suffer classic risk factors. However, the risk of suffering another heart attack is significantly reduced if risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, weight, not smoking, and a good diet and lifestyle are controlled.
It is important that those patients who have already suffered a cardiovascular disease have healthy lifestyle habits, smoking cessation, regular exercise, etc. There are also cardiac rehabilitation programs where, for a period of 2-3 months, multidisciplinary attention is given to medical, lifestyle and psychological aspects, with exercise as a key tool for recovery to a full and satisfactory normal life after the disease. All this not only reduces mortality, but also improves the patient’s quality of life.
It is essential to intensify our efforts to improve the prevention, diagnosis, therapeutic approach and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease in women.