Who gets more heart attacks, Men or Women?
Author : Dr. P. D.GUPTA
(Former Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India)
www.daylife.page
To begin with, during early childhood boys have a worse health profile than girls. This scenario changes in grownups. When health status and health behaviour of males and females are compared it was found out that females generally show a higher incidence of acute conditions, higher prevalence of minor chronic conditions, more short-term restricted activity, and more use of health services (especially outpatient services) and medicines. By contrast, males have higher prevalence rates for life-threatening chronic conditions, higher incidence of injuries, more long-term disability, and after about age 50, higher rates of hospitalization.
Women are more frequently ill than men, but with relatively mild problems. By contrast, men feel ill less often, but their illnesses and injuries are more serious. These morbidity differences help to explain sex differentials in health behaviour; frequent symptoms lead to more restricted activity, physician and dentist visits, and drug use for women.
When diagnosis and treatment are finally obtained, men's conditions are probably more advanced and less amenable to control. Finally, men may be less willing and able to restrict their activities when ill or injured. Four important factors that underlie sex differentials in health are discussed: inherited risks of illness, acquired risks of illness and injury, illness and prevention orientations, and health reporting behaviour. Statistics show that women ultimately have lower mortality rates than men--despite women's more frequent morbidity and possibly because of more care for their illnesses and injuries. Females are sicker but males die sooner.
Heart attacks and cardiovascular disease (CVD)
(CVD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although the incidence of CVD in women is usually lower than in men, women have a higher mortality and worse prognosis after acute cardiovascular events. Researchers have learned that symptoms of heart attack can be very different for men and women. However, the most common signs of a heart attack are the same for both. But there are many symptoms women are more likely to have that are less expected. Heart attacks do not discriminate — women are just as likely to have a heart attack as men are. But women are more likely than men to die from one. Studies show it often comes down to recognizing symptoms of a heart attack in women
Although having crushing chest pain is not unusual for women experiencing a heart attack, more often than not they have a combination of less-recognized symptoms such as:
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
Women tend to attribute those types of symptoms to non-life threatening conditions that are not heart related, such as acid reflux, the flu or even stress and anxiety. Rather than getting medical care, women are more likely to wait it out, hoping symptoms go away, with heart-damaging and life-threatening consequences.
Risks of heart attack
Focus on preventing a heart attack by knowing the risks. Some, such as age, sex and family history, cannot be changed. But others can. According to the American Heart Association, major risk factors you can modify, treat or control include:
• Do Not Smoking
• Control High BP
• Lower down cholesterol
• Keep healthy weight
• Control Diabetes
• Avoid Inactive lifestyle
• Take healthy diet, avoid Junk food
• Avoid Stress
(The author has his own study and views)
