Heart Disease: A Woman’s Problem, Too

It wasn’t too long ago that heart disease was viewed as a man’s problem. In fact, up until about 10 years ago virtually all studies on heart disease excluded women.

That was a big mistake because heart disease is the biggest killer of women in the U.S. Even with increased awareness, 80 percent of midlife women (ages 40 – 60) still have one or more of the modifiable risk factors for heart disease – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and smoking.

While heart disease is significantly lower for young women than men, women quickly catch up and pass men once they reach menopause. Historically, women with such risk factors as high cholesterol or hypertension have not been treated as aggressively as their male counterparts. That practice is only recently beginning to change.

Women often don’t present with the classic symptoms of a heart attack. Many women, in fact, are asymptomatic, lacking such classic symptoms as chest pain; pain radiating to the shoulders, neck or arms; and shortness of breath. They present in a more vague fashion, such as with flu-like symptoms or fatigue. As a result, women may ignore the symptoms and not seek care from a physician because they don’t perceive they are at risk.

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– John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions. He can be reached at: (781) 378-2164; email: [email protected] ; or online at: www.homecarepartnersma.com

JD Miller

About JD Miller

John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions. Phone: (781) 378-2164 Email: [email protected] Website: https://homecarepartnersma.com
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