Young women lack knowledge of the risks of heart disease

Researchers warn that many young women know little about the risks of cardiovascular or heart disease that they encounter. But a new study suggests that women may be able to reduce these risks by doing light physical activity as they get older.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Yet only one in 10 young women said they know it. And less than one in 20 thought that heart disease was the main health problem for women.

These are the findings of a study of 331 women aged 15 to 24 in the field of heart disease. The study asked women what they knew about heart attacks and heart failure and how to prevent them. The researchers then compared the results to a 2012 public opinion survey of 1,227 women over 25 years old.

The Journal of the American Heart Association published the latest findings earlier this month.

Holly Gooding and Courtney Brown, both of Harvard University School of Medicine, are the authors of the study. They told the Reuters press service that more than half of the adult women are aware this heart disease is the biggest threat to the health they are facing. The authors were therefore surprised to find that younger women were not aware, even women having access to health care.

What can young women do?

In the short term, young women have a low risk of developing heart disease and blood vessels. However, the risk for life is high, the authors added. And it is clearly established that the problems traditionally badociated with the risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, start as early as childhood and early in adulthood.

The authors argue that young adults focus on the present and do not think long-term, which could partly explain the results. Claire Duvernoy launched the Women's Cardiology Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She did not participate in the study, but she agrees with the authors.

"This is how teenagers tend to and it is an obstacle to such education, where risk is more of a thing in the long run, "said Duvernoy.

She advises young women to focus on advantages they will now, while they are young, have a healthy lifestyle.

The authors believe that the most effective way to improve cardiovascular health is to cope with diseases that increase risk before signs of heart disease develop. However, it can be difficult to educate young people about heart health because they do not usually discuss cardiovascular disease with their doctor.

The authors say that what is needed, it is a solution that works in many ways. This includes the improvement of health education in schools, the training of doctors who treat children and support for heart health on the Internet.

Is it too late for older women?

But even if they are not fully prepared for the risk of heart disease, older women should not be afraid of having completely missed their chance. A new study suggests that increasing the number of hours spent walking and gardening could reduce this risk.

Of the nearly 6,000 older women, those with the lowest daily activity are much less likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease than those with the least. And every additional hour of light activity a day seemed to further reduce women's risk.

These are the conclusions of the study published by the JAMA Network Open, also in March.

Andrea LaCroix, director of the Center of Excellence for Women's Health at the University of California at San Diego, is the lead author of the study. She pointed out that current physical activity guidelines suggest 150 minutes of intense physical activity a week. But even this is very difficult for older women like those in the study, whose average age was 79 years old.

"The result of this study is that everything we do, even less intense physical activity, seems to benefit the heart."

LaCroix said, "The current guidelines were developed by people who did not study older women. Yet older women disproportionate have heart disease "

For the new study, LaCroix and its team worked with 5,861 women aged 63 to 99 years. The researchers asked them to wear a device called an accelerometer for a week. The camera was recording when women were sitting or leaning back, and when they were getting up and moving. He was also able to report on the intensity of women's activities.

On average, women in the most active group spent more than 5.6 hours a day on light activity. The least active group spent less than 3.9 hours a day sitting or lying down.

Over the next four years, there were 143 new heart attacks and deaths from heart disease and 570 new cases of cardiovascular disease among women in the study.

The researchers took into account qualities such as women's age, race, blood pressure and whether or not they smoke cigarettes. They found that women who spent the most hours in light activity were 42% less likely to have a heart attack or die from heart disease than the less active women. The most active women were also 22% less likely to develop a new cardiovascular disease.

The study did not include a control group. As a result, he can not prove that light activities directly reduce women's cardiovascular risk. But Elsa Giardina has always called the study "very important". She is Director of the Center for Women's Health at Irving Medical Center New York-Presbyterian / Columbia University.

Giardina said that the study shows that women can reduce their risk of heart disease simply by spending less time sitting. She notes that the study also includes an under-represented population in many studies, even though older women are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States.

I am Susan Shand.

And I'm Pete Musto.

Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English using Reuters news service material. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want your news. To what extent are women in your country aware of their risk of heart disease? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in this story

author(s) – not. a person who has written something

aware – adj. knowing that there is something, such as a situation, a condition or a problem

blood vessel(s) – not. a small tube that carries blood to different parts of a person's body or an animal

focus – v. direct your attention or your efforts to something specific

teenager(s) – not. a young person who becomes an adult

tender – v. used to describe what happens often or what someone does or is likely to do

advantage(s) – not. a useful or useful result or effect

disproportionate – adv. done in a way that has or shows a difference that is not fair, reasonable or expected