$Unique_ID{BRK01994} $Pretitle{} $Title{Heart Attacks: It's Not Just a Man's Disease Anymore} $Subject{Heart attack Attacks Disease diseases male males Man men woman women female females risk risks chance chances danger dangers hazard hazards protect protective protection hormone hormones illness illnesses cause causes die died dead death deaths breast breasts cancer cancers cancerous fatal diet diets exercise exercises} $Volume{} $Log{ Anatomy of Blood Pressure*0009501.scf Atherosclerosis of Arteries*0009301.scf Causative Factors of Hypertension*0009601.scf Complications of Atherosclerosis*0009401.scf Exercise has Overall Benefits*0003209.scf Exercise Improves Circulation*0003207.scf Exercise Increases Metabolism*0003205.scf Exercise Lowers Triglycerides and Raises HDL*0003203.scf Exercise Strengthens the Heart*0003202.scf HDL Transports Cholesterol Back to the Liver*0002702.scf How Cholesterol Levels Affect the Arteries*0002701.scf Risk Factors of Atherosclerosis*0009302.scf} Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Heart Attacks: It's Not Just a Man's Disease Anymore ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: I am woman now bidding farewell to my middle age years, and facing what is pleasantly called "later life". Recent publicity about heart attacks in women has put me to wondering what my personal chances and risks are. I have always thought of heart attacks being a man's disease. If this is not true, would you please explain? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: Younger men certainly do face a greater risk of heart attack than women, probably because of the protective effects that female hormones provide. But as age progresses, women lose this advantage, and though heart attacks appear later in a woman's life, about 10 years after the average age in men, the statistics show that women's risk of heart disease is substantial. One in three women over the age of 65 suffer from heart disease of some kind, and these illnesses cause the death of about 380,000 women annually. Compare that to the figures for breast cancer, which kills 42,200 women each year, or all forms of cancer which cost the lives of about 227,000 women. That makes heart disease the leading cause of death in women in the United States. In addition the first attack is more fatal in women than in men, and women experience a second heart attack within four years more frequently than in men. I can't tell you what your personal risks are, but these figures highlight the importance of working to change your personal risk factors. Proper diet and exercise still remain the best avenues of accomplishing this important health goal. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.