Heart of women. How to help be healthy



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Author: Krista Lesiņa, Resident of the University of Riga Stradins, Cardiology, University Hospital Pauls Stradiņš

There is a misconception that coronary heart disease affects men more often. For this reason, women are less focused on heart health and less likely to attend a cardiologist at risk for cardiovascular disease. In fact, cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, is the leading cause of death in the world. Every year, more than 8.6 million women worldwide die from cardiovascular disease – more than women die of oncological diseases as well as other diseases.
The risk of cardiovascular disease for both men and women increases with age, which is badociated with increased risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) and long-term effects. term of various adverse internal and external factors on metabolism promoting tissue aging, vascular wall abnormalities and atherosclerotic vascular changes

There are various cardiovascular risk factors – those that we can change and those that we can not influence. The risk factors concerned are:

  • smoking,
  • hypertension (more than 140/90 millimeters of mercury column (mmHg)),
  • dyslipidemia or high blood cholesterol: total blood cholesterol greater than 5 mmol / l
  • low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood (LDL) greater than 3 mmol / l, with the addition that physicians evaluate LDLH for each individual
  • according to the risk of cardiovascular disease, as the standards may vary (not only cholesterol damage level, but many other factors and diseases: age, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, genetic predisposition, impaired renal function),
  • high triglycerides in the blood (TG) – greater than 1.7 mmol / l,
  • lowered cholesterol levels of high-density lipoprotein in the blood (ABLH) – less than 1.0 mmol / l in men and less than 1.2 mmol / l in men women;
  • increased weight or BMI 25-29.9 means excess weight, BMI> 30 means obesity,
  • obesity – waist size for men> 88 cm,
  • unhealthy and unbalanced diet, [19659005] sedentary lifestyle

Chronic kidney disease

Unaffected risk factors are age, bad, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, adverse hereditary problems, age history of cardiovascular events in family history (men up to age 55), diabetes mellitus, age, women under 65), pre-existing or existing cardiovascular disease

Risk factors that specifically increase the risk of coronary heart disease in women are diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2 diabetes at any age) smoking, high blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood (especially co mmence to increase after men (in women with higher triglyceride levels than men of all ages, with the increase in age and weight, triglycerides and total cholesterol tend to increase ).

Smoking combined with oral contraceptives greatly increases the risk of thrombosis. 10 times the risk of cardiovascular disease. When you quit smoking, the risk decreases by 50% over a 2-year period.

The infarction and development of stroke contribute to atherosclerosis or vascular impairment. When developing a plaque of atherosclerosis, a blood clot can clot, blocking certain vital blood vessels, causing a heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerosis is similar in men and women, but it is different in women before menopause

In women before menopause, the process is less pronounced than in men of the same age, making women more vulnerable to myocardial infarction. In contrast, after menopause, the development of atherosclerosis in women is more pronounced than in men, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The female bad hormone estrogen stimulates high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Since estrogen production is the highest in the reproductive age, women are more vulnerable to coronary heart disease before menopause. Estrogen has a protective effect on the heart's blood vessels, so early hormone replacement therapy up to the age of 40 is also important for maintaining cardiovascular health. Menopause is badociated with the progression of atherosclerosis and generalized heart disease, reaching a peak between 80 and 90 years of age, while approximately 35% of all cardiovascular events are occluded.

The risk of infarction and stroke in women is about 10 years. The one-year-old man has the same risk of heart attack and stroke as a 60-year-old woman. Men are usually the first to have an infarction, but women are stricken.
Women with coronary artery disease have fewer results than men. Statistics show that women die in 16% of cases, while men die in 11% of cases. In contrast, a woman who has already had a myocardial infarction, particularly diabetes, has a twice as high risk of cardiovascular disease (stroke or stroke) as a man in the same situation.

The symptoms of cardiovascular disease in men are pain and discomfort in the chest that can radiate to the left arm or both hands and jaw, and shortness of breath, women are more likely to have abdominal pain, pain between the shoulder blades, unusual fatigue, weakness, sleep disorders, palpitations. Suicide-related illnesses are also more common: diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, leading to more cardiovascular complications.

Women with diabetes should pay more attention to cardiovascular health because people with diabetes mellitus up to 4 times the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and diabetes is more likely to Affect women as women in the development of these diseases. In the face of diabetes, women are counteracting what is called the "protective factor" of cardiovascular health, which is probably due to the beneficial effects of estrogen on cardiovascular health. It has not yet been shown why heart disease in women with diabetes is growing faster and their manifestations are heavier, but there are badumptions that this is due to the disruption of balance hormone. Some studies have shown that women with diabetes have lower estrogen levels and higher levels of testosterone in their blood.

What can we do?

The main goal is to prevent cardiovascular risk factors! Do not smoke, be physically active, choose balanced meals, eliminate greasy and unhealthy foods from the menu, regularly measure blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol levels, contact your doctor in a timely manner and if necessary, perform additional tests and use drugs carefully. The foundation of heart and blood vessel health is thoughtful eating, physical activity and smoking cessation. In addition – it is now in fashion! To succeed!

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