It was believed that the estrogen in women prevent heart attacks in women till menopause. In the past few years it has been documented that there has been an alarming increase in the number of women who have suffered heart attacks. More women have suffered from a cardiovascular event than men. Of great importance is the fact that most of these women died as a result of it. Even more alarming is the fact that until that fateful day, they had no idea that they had a heart problem.
The fact of the matter is that more women die of heart attacks than breast cancer or cervical cancer as we are given to believe. There is utter lack of acceptance that every morbidly obese woman is a risk candidate for heart attacks and every chest pain or so called gastric pain is a pain of cardiac origin if not proven otherwise.The age at which Asian women have their first cardiovascular event is much earlier than in any other part of the globe. So, what we réalisé now is that awareness is lacking. This is why we have turned our focus from cancers to prevention of heart attack
Women are aware of the classic signs and symptoms of heart attacks and this is chest pain. But the most important issue is that the presentation of heart attacks is so varied that it can be easily missed.
What does it feel like during the event?
An epigastric pain, a left shoulder pain radiating down the arms, jaw pain, a dyspnoea or shortness of breath, weakness or fatigue, nausea and/ or vomiting, tightness in the chest- all these may signal impending heart attacks. Cold sweat, fainting and light headedness can also be signaling a heart attack.
There are other points in focus- women without chest pain in fact fare worser than those with chest pain. They are usually diabetic, they present very late and usually succumb to the event, they are totally unaware of the problem when they die of the attack.
There is a huge lack of focus on the heart health of women especially in this part of the globe. The risk factors remain the same as for men- lack of physical activity, obesity, diabetes mellites, high blood pressure and smoking. Genetic predisposition is to be considered and any family history of Coronary arterial disease in parents and siblings increases the risk. Regular screening is mandatory in this genetically predisposed group.
On the flip side heart attacks in women often missed for panic attacks
Having said this, why the sudden increase in the number of women with CAD in India ?
The eating pattern in women in India has undergone dramatic changes, lured by consumerism into believing that certain foods are super healthy and some are not so healthy. On the contrary, Indian women have been cheated into giving up their age- old eating habits and adapting to new fashionable foods, which has harmed their bodies. So also are the young girls who have also been lured into eating food advertised on TV by cine artistes and cricketers. The net result is an increase in childhood and adolescent obesity. This is the fore runner of PCOD and future ischemic heart disease.
The second most important factor is absolute lack of physical activity. As children, girls have forgotten to play with other children in the parks and playgrounds. Their school curriculum is so heavy and they find no time. To compound this, there are safety concerns too. There has to be a watch person from home to observe the environment in which the girls play, analyse their companions, keep track of their telephonic contacts etc. Parents find no time for that. Parents look for easy substitutes for health for their children. Instead they have only made them potential candidates for cardiac events very early in life.
Thirdly morbidly obese children are a common sight today and parents do not know how to deal with them. They have lost control over their children- thanks to the social media. These children develop bizarre habits, hang out with virtual friends and succumb to peer pressure. When quality time is not alloted to children, parents have to accept the consequences.
Most importantly, women multitask and have no time for themselves. More women are the bread winners for their families. The burden of being homemakers and money wending machines has taken a toll on women’s health, weakened as it is by childbirth. Women also face work pressure which leads to stress related heart attacks
It is time women wake up to the fact that most women should fear a cardiac event which is wholly preventable rather than cancers which is not so,most of the time. Focus on personality development works wonders for stress relief and time should also be allotted for personal grooming as women age. This helps with prevention of heart attacks
Mothers are advised to prioritize health- analytical skills and social skills are only second in importance when children are concerned. An untimely death due to a cardiovascular event collapses a family far more than anything else. Let parents give their girls a healthy body first and then move on to the further their intellectual and social capabilities.