Four conditions not often characterized as women’s health issues

Certain women's health conditions garner more attention than others. For example, efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer are extensive and widely known. But other women's health issues have a tendency to fall off the radar, even if their prevalence merits greater consideration.

In honor of Women's Health Care Month, the staff at HER Magazine would like to shed light on four significant and less publicized women's health issues, recognition of which could potentially save lives.

Heart disease:

Nothing kills more women each year than cardiovascular disease, which the American Heart Association notes causes one in three deaths of women each year. That cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women each year is not the only surprising fact in regard to women and heart health. The following are some additional interesting facts, courtesy of the American Heart Association and other sources.

Awareness among women regarding the threat posed by heart disease has decreased dramatically in recent years. In 2020, a special report from the AHA indicated that, in 2009, 65 percent of women were aware that heart disease is their leading cause of death. By 2019, that figure had dropped to 44 percent.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms. The AHA notes that could be linked to a host of variables, including obesity. Data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that examined pregnancies in 48 states and the District of Columbia found that pre-pregnancy obesity increased by 8 percent between 2011 and 2015. During that same period, severe pre-pregnancy obesity increased by 14 percent. Obesity is considered a significant risk factor for heart disease.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada reports that the No. 1 cause of premature death in women in Canada is heart disease and stroke.

More than half of all high blood pressure deaths are in women. The AHA reports that nearly 52 percent of deaths caused by hypertension (high blood pressure) occur in women.

Nearly 58 percent of Black women have hypertension. That's the highest percentage among women of any race or ethnicity.

Despite the significant percentage of global heart disease deaths affecting women, a 2021 study published in the journal The Lancet found that cardiovascular disease in women is understudied, under-recognized, underdiagnosed, and undertreated.

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Centre reports that menopause before the age of 45 is linked to a 50 percent higher risk of heart disease.

The World Health Organization reports that one-third of all ischaemic heart disease diagnoses across the globe are attributable to high cholesterol. According to the CWHHC, one in two women have elevated cholesterol.

A 2017 study of more than 19,000 people who had cardiac events found that only 39 percent of women received CPR from bystanders in public compared to 45 percent of men. Researchers linked that disparity to fears of being accused of inappropriate touching, potential lawsuits and concerns that administering CPR to women could cause physical injury.

Diabetes:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that African American, Hispanic/Latina, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander women are more likely to have diabetes than white women. But any woman can get diabetes, and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reports that type 2 diabetes is more common in adults who are 45 and older. The CDC also reports that diabetes increases the risk for heart disease in women by about four times compared to two times for men, which underscores how great a threat the disease is for women. Women can speak to their physicians about the significance of checking their blood sugar and the role diet and exercise can play in reducing diabetes risk.

The number of people living with diabetes has risen dramatically over the last four decades. According to the World Health Organization, between 1980 and 2014, the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million to 422 million.

The dramatic spike in diabetes cases in such a short period of time highlights just how big a threat the disease poses to the health of people across the globe. That makes now a perfect time to learn more about diabetes and what individuals can do to manage their disease.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease related to how the body produces or utilizes insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin or cannot effectively utilize the insulin it produces.

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

The WHO notes that more than 95 percent of the people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not use insulin properly, whereas type 1 occurs when the body does not produce insulin.

Can diabetes be managed?

It's important that individuals diagnosed with diabetes recognize that both types 1 and 2 can be managed. The ADA reports that diet and routine exercise are vital to managing type 2 diabetes. The ADA urges people who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes to speak with a registered dietitian nutritionist to find foods that are healthy and help them feel satisfied at the end of a meal. Lingering may compel people to make poor dietary choices that could make their condition worse. The ADA's "Nutrition Consensus Report," published in 2019, is a comprehensive review of 600 research articles over a five-year span conducted by a panel of scientists, doctors, endocrinologists, diabetes educators, and dietitians. That review emphasized the significance of working with an RDN, noting that recommendations about diet for diabetes patients must take factors specific to each individual, including their life circumstances and preferences, into consideration. The review also noted that each person responds differently to different types of foods and diets, so there is no single diet that will work for all patients.

Though there is no "one-size-fits-all" diet for people with diabetes, the ADA created the Diabetes Plate Method as a simple way to help people with diabetes create healthy meals. The method urges individuals to fill half their plate with nonstarchy vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans, and salad greens. One-quarter of the plate should be filled with lean proteins such as chicken, lean beef (cuts like chuck, round or sirloin), or fish (salmon, cod, tuna). Plant-based sources of protein also count, and these include beans, lentils, hummus, falafel, edamame, and tofu, among other foods. The final quarter of the plate should be reserved for foods that are higher in carbohydrates, such as whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pastas), beans and legumes, or even fruits and dried fruit.

More information can be found at diabetes.org.

Urinary tract infections:

The Office on Women's Health notes that women get urinary tract infections up to 30 times more often than men. In addition, a 2016 report in the journal American Family Physician indicated that between 30 and 44 percent of women will have a second UTI within six months of an initial infection.

Symptoms can include:

Pain or burning while urinating

Frequent urination

Feeling the need to urinate despite having an empty bladder

Bloody urine

Pressure or cramping in the groin or lower abdomen

Fever

Chills

Lower back pain or pain the side of your back

Nausea or vomiting

The OWH indicates urinating when the need arises, drinking between six and eight glasses of water per day and additional hygiene measures are some ways to potentially prevent a UTI. Women can discuss more specific measures with their physicians.

Alzheimer's disease:

The Alzheimer's Association notes that almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer's are women. Figures are similar in Canada, where data from the Alzheimer Society indicates that just under 62 percent of those living with dementia in 2020 were women. The life expectancy of women is still longer than it is for men, which may explain the greater incidence rates of Alzheimer's among women. However, women can still speak with their physicians about lifestyle choices that could reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's.

While most people are familiar with Alzheimer's, there is much to learn. The following are some interesting facts about Alzheimer's.

The most common symptoms of Alzheimer's involve a gradual decline in memory, reasoning, language, coordination, mood, and behavior.

The Cleveland Clinic says the buildup of plaques and tangles from an overabundance of amyloid and tau protein production block the communication between nerve cells and cause brain cells to die, thus contributing to Alzheimer's. Nerve cell death starts in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that controls memory. Doctors are not entirely sure what causes this protein build-up.

Many times family members are the first to recognize a friend or loved one forgetting newly learned information, especially recent events, places and names.

Issues with thinking and reasoning may include not wearing the right clothes for the weather or not knowing to use oven mitts when taking hot items out of the oven.

Changes in the brain can begin years before initial symptoms appear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's. Researchers believe that genetics may play a role, but a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's does not make it an inevitability.

A healthy lifestyle, which includes adequate physical activity, a nutritious diet, limited alcohol consumption, and not smoking, may help people avoid Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's can rob a person of his or her personality. As the disease becomes more severe, mood swings, anger, depression, and anxiety may occur. This is combined with the patient forgetting who family members are and potentially lashing out or being disinterested in visitors.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but doctors use medical management to improve quality of life for patients and their caregivers. Treatments may help maintain brain health and manage behavioral symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease was first diagnosed at the start of the 20th century. Now, 117 years later, it remains a major health issue affecting millions of people worldwide.

Recognition of less publicized issues that affect women's health can be the first step toward reducing the risk for many conditions.

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