Sick heart: women underestimate risk

From the age of 65, women are more likely to suffer from heart disease than men. Only a few people know this.

The risk of serious heart disease for women is high. It is mostly men who suffer from coronary heart failure at a younger age. They are therefore more aware of the issue and are more aware of the risk of a heart attack. Since women only become part of the risk group as they get older, after the menopause, there is a lack of awareness here. Around half of all women live with heart disease for a long time without knowing it, even though it is the number one cause of death. The reason for this is that the disease only becomes apparent at a very late stage or after a serious event such as a heart attack. Heart attack or a Stroke It is therefore all the more important that women know the typical symptoms of a possible heart attack. In addition, a healthy lifestyle, ideally from a young age, is the best prevention.

Correctly interpreting symptoms of heart disease

Unlike men, women do not always experience stabbing pains in the chest area that indicate a heart attack. A woman can recognize a heart attack by pain in the neck, shoulder and knee joints. Abdominal pain, shortness of breath, unusual weakness and tiredness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting and sweating can also be symptoms. These sometimes occur weeks before the heart attack. Therefore, increased attention and a visit to the Doctor strongly recommended. A regular Check of the vessels and the heart brings security. Using a color double ultrasound and the Echocardiography The heart and blood vessels are examined. testing of vascular elasticity and a blood test provide further information about the effect of the calcification of the arteries. Diagnosis Irregularities such as deposits on the vessel walls (arteriosclerosis), further therapy steps are initiated. In parallel, a change in lifestyle is required, with healthy Nutrition and sufficient exercise are important. Attention should be paid to the smallest vessels in the heart. So-called microvascular heart disease, the blockage and narrowing of the smallest vessels in the heart, affects women more often than men. A reliable diagnosis can only be made with further tests. Targeted therapy increases the chance of successfully treating this too. Therefore, education is one of the most important measures in the prevention of serious heart disease in women. Women must be aware that, particularly after the menopause, they are at least as at risk of suffering from heart disease as men. As with male patients, the main cause of coronary heart disease in women is arteriosclerosis. This destruction of the vessel walls by deposits leads to a narrowing of the arteries. Blood flow is impaired and the deposits can become detached, which in serious cases promote the formation of a clot or lead to a vessel blockage. A stroke or a fatal cardiac arrhythmia can be the result.

Identifying factors for heart disease

If the diagnosis of coronary heart disease is confirmed, there are various measures to improve blood circulation. Smoking, Hypertension, noticeable cholesterol levels, Diabetes and obesity are the main causes of heart disease in both men and women. However, women need significantly fewer cigarettes to be seriously harmful to their health. Hypertension and high cholesterol levels are the number one risk factor for women. However, only after menopause, the ratio is reversed compared to male colleagues and the risk of serious secondary diseases increases. Diabetes It has even been proven that female patients are more likely to die of a stroke or heart failure than men. Observations have also shown that a Depression, which occurs more frequently in women than in men, trigger of heart disease. Women should also be aware of a malfunction of the thyroid Especially those who suffer from thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, have a higher risk of developing heart disease. With a sonography of the thyroid and by determining thyroid antibodies in the blood, this autoimmune thyroid disease can be detected early. In general, it is also true that with a healthy normal weight, sufficient exercise, no nicotine and moderate alcohol consumption, the risk of heart disease can be reduced by 80 percent.