Young Women in India Face Rising Heart Attack Risks

Recently, a 32-year-old marketing professional went to the ER due to extreme exhaustion and moderate chest pain. Even though her symptoms were unusual, preliminary testing showed that she had experienced a heart attack. This example highlights the growing worry in India about heart disease among younger women.

Heart Disease in Women: Possible Risk Factors and Amenable Risk Behaviors

Risk Factors:

• Obesity: The study points to the fact that over one third of women who have cardiovascular disease are obese.
• Insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables: Out of those women, only one percent can afford to take the recommended fruits and vegetables.
• Physical Activity: Some do not know that normal activities mean doing normal work, which is most times considered as exercising but not very intensive.
• Diabetes: The results reveal that women who have diabetes have a propensity of getting heart disease than men.
• Hypertension and Metabolic Syndrome: It revealed that women with heart diseases have high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.

Impact of Lifestyle Choices:

• Smoking raises concerns about heart diseases & erodes estrogen protective functions.
• Alcohol: Overindulgence leads to complications in heart health.
• Stress: Stress even related to emotional issues should worry anyone, but especially middle-aged women, as it can cause stress cardiomyopathy.

Hormonal Factors:

• Estrogen: Affords some protection against heart disease; decreases after the onset of menopause.
• Birth Control Pills: May cause blood to clot and raise blood pressure, particularly if the person is a smoker.

Atypical Symptoms:

• Listless, nauseous, easily out of breath, and feeling uncomfortable in the upper abdomen.
• Delay in seeking medical care: The patients often develop symptoms that are not typical for stroke, which causes the disease to be diagnosed later.

Preventive Measures:

• Drink more water and juice and reduce sweet and bakery products. 
• Exercise for at least thirty minutes five days a week.
• Regular check-ups: Avoid screening blood markers from the age of twenty.
• Monitor health markers: blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.