What Do You Know About Women's 心 Disease?
How much do you know about heart disease? As women get older, many worry about cancer. 但是你知道吗，每年死于心脏病的女性比死于所有癌症的总和还要多?
When it comes to symptoms of heart disease,女性 可以 have different—and more subtle—symptoms from men. Because many women have different symptoms,女性 可以 不 recognize the signs of heart disease before it’s too late.
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How Common Is 心 Disease in Women & 为什么?
心 disease is the number one killer of women. 事实上, 美国每年约有三分之一的女性死于心脏病, killing approximately one woman every minute. In 2013 alone, heart disease killed 289,758 women.
Here are some statistics:
- In the US, 43 million American women have heart disease.
- 心血管疾病每年导致近5万名非裔美国女性死亡.
- 平均而言，西班牙裔女性患心脏病的时间可能比非西班牙裔女性早10年.
- 心 disease is the leading cause of death for white women.
Millions of women are at risk for heart disease. 但只有五分之一的女性知道心脏病是她们健康的最大威胁.
More women will also die from heart disease than men. 尽管男性心脏病死亡率一直在稳步下降， 女性心脏病死亡率下降的速度要慢得多.
More women will also die from heart disease than men. 尽管男性心脏病死亡率一直在稳步下降， 女性心脏病死亡率下降的速度要慢得多.
为什么 is this the case? 男性和女性的心脏大小在生理上存在差异，这可能有助于解释为什么心脏病对女性来说如此致命. 但还有另一个同样重要的区别：当女性出现心脏病发作症状时，她们不太可能认为自己得了心脏病.
Almost two thirds of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. （冠心病是一种导致向心脏输送血液的血管阻塞的疾病）.
研究还表明，女性可能没有把心脏病发作的症状当回事. Alarmingly, 只有65%的女性表示，如果她们认为自己心脏病发作了，她们会立即拨打911.
研究还表明，女性更有可能破坏动脉内的微小血管壁. 动脉大发娱乐心脏泵血并将氧气输送到身体的其他器官.
Menopause & 心 Disease
Older people in general are more likely to have heart disease. Your odds will increase after menopause. The research still isn’t clear, 但荷尔蒙和代谢谱的变化可能解释了为什么老年女性更容易患心脏病. 你的代谢谱包括你的血糖（葡萄糖）水平, electrolytes, and liver and kidney function.
During menopause:
- estrogen levels go down,
- blood pressure rises,
- bad cholesterol (LDL) increases, and
- good cholesterol (HDL) goes down or stays at the same levels.
甘油三酯——血液中会增加中风风险的脂肪——也会上升.
心 Attack Symptoms in Women
既然你知道了你患心脏病的几率，那么你该如何发现症状呢? The bad news is that compared to men, 女性可能有更细微、更难以识别的心脏病症状. 女性心脏病发作时的症状可能也更难识别.
What's the good news? 大多数女性在心脏病发作时至少会有一种众所周知的症状——胸痛.
Some women show no signs of heart disease at all. This is called silent CAD or coronary artery disease.
So how can you tell if you 可以 have heart disease?
心绞痛
One common sign of heart disease is called angina. 心绞痛是当你努力工作时，没有足够的富氧血液输送到心脏时，你会感到胸痛. 心绞痛s happen when your coronary artery has a partial blockage.
Women who have angina 可以 have these symptoms, 尤其是当他们压力很大或正在进行剧烈的体育活动时：
- chest pressure or a squeezing feeling;
- pain radiating down the arm;
- sharp, burning chest pain;
- shortness of breath; or
- pain in the jaw, neck, throat, stomach, or upper back.
心 Attack
心 attacks 是冠状动脉疾病（CAD）的一种危及生命的并发症. 当你的心脏无法获得足够的氧气时，就会发生这种情况，因为血液流动被阻塞在通往心脏肌肉部分的动脉内. 如果血液不能再次快速流向心脏，部分心肌就会开始死亡.
女性在心脏病发作时的症状可能与男性不同. These symptoms can include:
- pain, pressure, or squeezing in the middle of your chest;
- feeling out of breath;
- being nauseous or vomiting;
- or pain that radiates to your arms, jaw, neck, stomach, or back.
重要的是要记住，有些女性可能在心脏病发作时没有感觉到胸部有任何压力, especially women who have diabetes mellitus.
如果你有上述任何症状，并认为你可能有心脏病发作, call 9-1-1 right away.
Know Your Odds of Getting 心 Disease
Even though heart disease kills one in three women each year, 好消息是，通过改变健康的生活方式，你可以显著降低患心脏病的几率.
吸烟, eating unhealthy foods, being overweight, 高胆固醇或高血压会增加患心脏病的几率. Diseases like diabetes and even PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) can also increase your odds of getting heart disease. 但是你可以做一些事情来降低你的几率.
Stay 心 Healthy: Lower Your Chances of Getting 心 Disease
Maintain a 心-Healthy Diet
新的研究表明，不良的饮食习惯在很大程度上增加了你死于心血管疾病的几率. What should you do? 确保你每周至少吃几次对心脏有益的食物：
- 坚果 & 种子,
- vegetables,
- whole grains,
- fruits, and
- omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and seafood).
Monounsaturated fats (found in olive and sesame oil, 杏仁, 核桃也被证明对你的心脏健康有积极的好处.
You should also eat less:
- 盐;
- 饱和脂肪和反式脂肪（存在于油炸食品、饼干和人造黄油中）；
- 甜食和未精制的糖（如饼干、糖果、白面包和白意大利面）；
- sugary drinks (like sodas, sweetened tea, and sweetened coffees and energy drinks); and
- processed meats.
If it sounds too hard to cut out your favorite foods, focus on making an effort to eat healthier first. 你没必要把所有对你有害的食物都戒掉. 研究表明，在你的饮食中多吃一些对心脏有益的食物，比如坚果和种子，就能降低你死于心脏病的几率.
把你的饮食选择想象成一个跷跷板：你应该多吃对心脏有益的食物，少吃不健康的食物，比如盐和反式脂肪.
锻炼
现在，要想降低患心脏病的几率，最好的办法之一就是多运动. Women should exercise 150 minutes each week—or two ½ hours. This can be broken down into 30 minutes each day.
为了达到这个建议，你不必在健身房苦练. 适度的有氧运动可以提高你的心率，比如骑自行车, 游泳, 跳舞, 甚至快走也能让你的心脏得到它所需要的锻炼.
Women's Health 项目
5 for Life Screenings
A big part of staying healthy is detecting diseases early. We make it easy for you to get lifesaving tests for heart disease, breast cancer, cervical cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer in one convenient visit.
Menopause Treatment
Every woman who menstruates eventually experiences menopause. When you know the facts about the stages of menopause, 你可以更积极地控制随之而来的症状.
