"We take the fear out of research and
health science communication."
Chris Atack, Atack Associates

Weight, workouts and worries: how women can take control of their heart health

(a major, 45-minute presentation for a general audience with a specific interest in women's health issues)

Slide 1

  • Weight, workouts and worries:
  • How women can take control of their heart health

Good morning!

We're here today to talk about how heart disease and stroke affect women - and what you can do to protect yourself. In particular, we're going to focus on three key behaviours that affect women's risk of heart disease and stroke.

Slide 2

Three Ws's of women's heart and stroke health:

  • Weight control
  • Workouts
  • Worries

To make these behaviours easy to remember, we're calling them 'weight control, workouts and worries.' Think of them as the 'three W's of women's heart health.'

Our first big focus will be on weight - what a healthy weight is and how to achieve it. Then, we're going to talk about working out - in other words, about being physically active - and how it can promote health. Finally, we're going to talk about ways to handle the worries and stresses of day-to-day life. And along the way, we're also going to mention other key factors in women's heart health.

Slide 3

  • In this presentation:
  • Overview of key areas
  • How you can get more information

Because our time is limited, you may not get as much detail as you might like on some topics. This presentation won't tell you everything there is to know about heart disease, stroke and women. It WILL give you an overview of key areas. Later, you may want to read more about topics you're especially interested in.

On the other hand, because we're covering so much, you may start to feel like you're drowning in information. Not to worry! You don't have to remember everything. At the end of this presentation you'll learn how you can get more information on everything we cover. So just relax and take in the big picture. You can fill in the details later.

Slide 4

  • Heart disease and stroke:
  • Claim far more lives than any other disease.
  • Kill about 39,000 women each year
  • Strike women seven to ten years later than males

Let's start by getting a handle on just how big the problem of heart disease and stroke is for women.

In Canada, heart disease and stroke claim far more lives - both women and men - than any other single disease.

About 39,000 women die each year of heart disease and stroke. That's more than from any other disease.

These figures may surprise you, because heart disease and stroke have often been seen as 'men's health problems.' Nothing could be further from the truth. Heart disease and stroke should be a leading health concern for Canadians of both sexes.

Slide 5

Women with heart disease:

  • Older than male heart patients
  • More likely to have other chronic diseases
  • Different warning signs
  • Different heart attack symptoms

Heart disease and stroke affect both women and men - but they often strike females in different ways and at different times of life than males.

For one thing, women tend to develop heart disease seven to ten years later than males.

Scientists think this is because estrogen, the female hormone, may protect women from heart problems until menopause.

Like most rules, this one has exceptions. If you have diabetes or a family history of heart problems, you're at increased risk even before menopause. Other risk factors can also raise your chances of getting heart disease. We'll talk about these in a few minutes.

But without extra risk factors, women tend to develop heart disease later than men. This is a mixed blessing. Because women are older when diagnosed, they are more likely to have other chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure. These can make it a lot harder to manage heart problems.

Another thing: warning signs of heart disease are different in men and women. In men, all too often the first sign of heart disease is a heart attack. If you're a woman, on the other hand, you may have some early warning signals. The condition often shows up first as angina or chest pain. Sometimes, the pain is accompanied by other heart symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue.

Angina symptoms happen when the heart doesn't get enough blood to supply its needs. It often comes on with exercise and goes away when resting. If you experience anything like this, you should see your doctor right away.

Slide 6

Heart attack symptoms in women:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Sweating
  • Discomfort in the arms, jaw or shoulders

The symptoms of an actual heart attack can also be different in women. In addition to the classic symptom of crushing chest pain, women sometimes experience shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and discomfort in the arms, jaw or shoulders. This can make it harder to spot a heart attack when it happens.

Signs of stroke are the same in men and women, but you should know these as well, because almost 60 per cent of the 50,000 strokes in Canada each year affect women. In fact, a greater percentage of women than men die from stroke.

Slide 7

Stroke symptoms in women and men:

  • Sudden weakness
  • Numbness or tingling in the face, arm or leg
  • Trouble speaking
  • Sudden loss of vision
  • Severe and unusual headache
  • Dizziness.

Stroke warning signs include sudden weakness, numbness or tingling in the face, arm or leg, trouble speaking, sudden loss of vision, severe and unusual headache and dizziness.

If you have any symptoms like this, don't take chances. Go directly to your emergency ward. Above all, don't ignore symptoms because you've heard 'women don't have heart attacks or strokes.' They do, and when they do, they need help fast.

Slide 8

Realize the risk so you can reduce it!

Heart disease and stroke are frightening diseases. It's difficult for us to come to terms with the fact we're at risk from them. But realizing the risk is a positive step. The sooner you know your risk level, the sooner you can start to reduce it.

And that's why we're here today. We're going to talk about what puts women at risk for heart disease and stroke - and how you can take control, reduce your risk and lead a healthy life.

Not every woman has the same chance of developing heart disease or stroke. Your chance of developing heart problems depends on your risk factors - things that put you at higher-than-average risk.

Slide 9

Quiz time: write down three risk factors for heart disease and stroke:

  • One you can control
  • One you can't control
  • One specific to women.

Let's do a quick quiz. Take a few moments to write down three risk factors for heart disease and stroke. To make it a bit more challenging, see if you can write down one risk factor you can control, one you can't control and one that's specific to women.

ALLOW TIME TO WRITE DOWN RISK FACTORS

Ready?

Here's a list of risk factors for heart disease and stroke. As you can see, the list is broken down into three groups: controllable, uncontrollable, and risk factors specific to women. If you were able to name one factor from each group - congratulations!

Slide 10

Risk factors you can't change:

  • Age over 55
  • Family history
  • Ethnic background

Let's start by talking about uncontrollable risk factors - the ones you can't change. The first is age. If you're a woman and you're over 55, you're at higher risk of heart problems than younger women.

Family history is another uncontrollable risk factor. If a close male relative developed heart disease before 55, that puts you at higher risk. Likewise, if a close female relative developed heart disease before age 65. By close relative I mean a parent or a sibling.

Finally, ethnic background can be a risk factor. Women of African, South Asian and First Nations descent have a higher risk.

If you're at higher risk because of your age or background, it's important to realize it, so you can focus on risk factors that are in your control...

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