68 June 2014 www.womanthismonth.com The way a woman perceives her vital statistics should ideally change after a certain age. No, we aren’t referring to your hour-glass 36-24-36 body measurements. Your body mass index, cholesterol levels and blood pressure are numbers that are truly vital when it comes to keeping your heart healthy and pumping for long. A common misconception is that heart disease is a man’s illness. The American Heart Association cites cardiovascular disease claims far more women than cancer or any other serious ailments do. Read on to know more about this silent killer of women and how to keep it at bay. A Woman’s Heart: An Overview Our Expert: Dr Saad Al Tamimi, consultant internist and cardiologist, Noor Specialist Hospital The female hormone, oestrogen, protects a woman against heart disease. However, when production of oestrogen dwindles after menopause, women are at great risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. They are usually characterised with arteriosclerosis and/or hypertension. “Arteriosclerosis is the process of thickening and hardening of arteries caused by deposition of cholesterol and calcium. Over time, these plaque deposits grow large enough to narrow the arteries, decreasing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. If the plaque becomes unstable and ruptures with superimposed blood clots, the artery will be blocked, resulting in a heart attack,” explains Dr Saad. Besides the most obvious risk factors of heart disease, like high cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity, other factors play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women. “Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly more in women than in men. Similarly, what we call the metabolic syndrome — the combination of abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and LIFESTYLE | wellbeing Alive and Ticking by BEHNAZ SANJANA Medics have proclaimed heart disease to be the No. 1 killer of women the world over. Enough of thinking with our hearts; it’s time to start thinking for our hearts now.
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