Women and Cardiovascular Disease

Women and Cardiovascular Disease

I. Introduction

A. Cardiovascular disease is not just a man's disease, it the number one killer of women over the age of twenty-five in the United States, regardless of ethnicity and age. There are several factors that contribute to this disease, some of the more common being than others: older age, obesity, smoking, heredity, diabetes, and hypertension. This disease can be diagnosed with a few tests such as an ECG and Myocardial Biopsy.

B. Abstract/Thesis Statement: One in every three women over the age of twenty has some form of cardiovascular disease beating the rate of that in men. Although heredity and older age cannot avoid the contribution to this disease, controlling diabetes level, obesity, stress, a healthy diet, and physical activity can as these factors decrease the likeliness of this fatal disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disability among women.

II. Body

A. Non-modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women include older age, menopause, race, and a family history of this disease. In contrary, if a woman modifies her smoking, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, physical activity, being overweight, stress levels, anger, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides this can lower her chances of having cardiovascular disease.

B. Symptoms- The most common heart attack symptom in women is some type of pain, pressure, or discomfort in the chest. Unlike men, women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as shoulder, neck, upper back or abdominal discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, sweating, lightheadedness or dizziness, and unusual fatigue.

C. Causes- Cardiovascular disease can take many forms: high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, stroke, or rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease. Ignoring symptoms and the failure of a healthy diet and exercise are also the leading causes of heart disease.

D. The diagnosis of heart disease is based on medical records and family histories, your risk factors, a physical exam, and the results from a variety of tests and procedures. Electrocardiogram, also known as EKG, stress testing, echocardiography, chest x ray, blood tests, and a heart MRI, are a few of a variety of exams that doctors take to diagnose cardiovascular disease.

E. Treatment- Cardiovascular disease can be linked to a wide range of different conditions that affect the heart ("cardio") and blood vessels ("vascular"). Therefore to begin with, treatment begins in the hands of the person. Lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet, low stress and depression levels, a healthy diet, a healthy weight, and being physically active are effective beginnings to treating cardiovascular disease.