When it comes to women's health, we often think of gynecological diseases, breast cancer, cervical cancer, etc., but we ignore cardiovascular diseases. According to the World Heart Federation, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women worldwide. For women, the number of cardiovascular diseases, there are many "special reasons" determined by their physiological characteristics. Understanding the cause and preventing it early can effectively reduce the risk of disease.
Pregnancy and childbirth
Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy have been shown to be associated with the occurrence of sudden hypertension and cardiovascular diseases after delivery. Women who have at least one risk factor (preeclampsia, multiple pregnancy, chronic hypertension, type I or type II diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or autoimmune disease) or at least two moderate risk factors (nonfertility, obesity, family history of preeclampsia, socioeconomic factors, advanced age) may take low-dose aspirin to reduce the risk of preeclampsia.
Women with a history of gestational diabetes also have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the future, including twice the risk of high blood pressure, twice the risk of stroke, and 2.8 times the risk of ischemic heart disease. In addition, a history of gestational diabetes was associated with a 1.4-20-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.
Premature delivery
Even giving birth before 37 weeks of gestation was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with more and earlier preterm births (less than 34 weeks) associated with a higher risk of future cardiovascular disease.Miscarriage and stillbirth increased the risk of myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and renal vascular hypertension by about 2 times, of which miscarriage accounted for 1.45 times.
Intrauterine growth restriction is often associated with poor utero-placental perfusion, and studies note that women with this history are also at higher risk for hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and insulin resistance.
Premature menopause
Early menopause (age <40 years) and relatively early menopause (45-49 years) have also been identified as a risk enhancer for cardiovascular disease. After menopause, reduced estrogen levels cause changes in body fat distribution, decreased glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, increased sympathetic tone, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular inflammation.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Women with PCOS have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, including abdominal obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure. These factors may contribute to endothelial dysfunction, which is a marker of cardiovascular disease risk.
Therefore, women with PCOS should be screened for cardiovascular disease risk, including close monitoring of weight changes every 6-12 months, blood pressure checks, fasting lipids, blood glucose control screening, and physical activity assessments at least annually.
Autoimmune disease
Compared to men, women are more likely to have underlying autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis are very common in women and have been associated with induced atherosclerosis and coronary microvascular dysfunction.
Anxiety and depression
Anxiety and depression are independent risk factors for coronary heart disease in women, and the prevalence rate of women is twice that of men.
Women are more likely than men to suffer from social factors such as depression, anxiety, and acute or chronic emotional stress. Bad mood is closely related to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, and depression and anxiety are sometimes not only manifested as changes in mood, but also have chest tightness, chest pain, palpitation and sweating, and other similar symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, which need to be identified.
Knock on the blackboard
"High risk" women have a risk assessment
Studies have shown that one in three women worldwide die from cardiovascular disease, and even 45% of women over the age of 20 have some form of cardiovascular disease. Despite the high incidence of cardiovascular disease, the risk can be effectively reduced by improving lifestyle, regular health assessments and taking the necessary preventive measures.
In addition to traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, high serum cholesterol, advanced age, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, unreasonable diet, lack of exercise, social pressure, lack of sleep, family history, social pressure and psychological problems, the unique factors of cardiovascular disease in women also need our attention.
For women with multiple high risk factors mentioned in the article, it is necessary to pay attention to advance cardiovascular disease risk assessment, develop personalized intervention strategies, regular follow-up monitoring, early detection and early treatment.
