Video Transcript:
Pulse Uniform examines the top five medical concerns for
women: breast cancer, depression, heart disease, osteoporosis,
and autoimmune disorder. Read on to learn more about the risk
factors for each disease, and what women can do for prevention.
Breast Cancer
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, no
matter your race or ethnicity. It is also second to lung cancer
as the leading cause of death for women.
Risk Factors
Experts from the American Cancer Society lists the following
risk factors for breast cancer:
-
Gender - Men can develop breast cancer but women are 100
times more vulnerable to the disease. Women have more female
hormones progesterone and estrogen that boosts growth of breast
cancer.
-
Aging - 2 out of 3 invasive breast cancers are found in
women age 55 or older.
-
Genes - About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary,
which result directly from mutations inherited from a parent.
-
Family History - Women whose close blood relatives developed
breast cancer are more exposed to risk.
-
Personal History - A woman with cancer in one breast has
three to four times exposed to risk of developing new cancer
in the other breast or in other parts of the same breast.
-
Smoking and Drinking Alcohol - Women who consume 2 to
5 alcoholic drinks every day and smoke regularly have about
1.5 times the risk compared to non-drinkers.
-
Obesity - Being overweight after menopause increases risk
for women to develop breast cancer.
What Can You Do?
- Exercise to stay fit and healthy
- Maintain a balanced diet
- Minimize alcohol consumption or quit completely
- Quit smoking
- Avoid hormone replacement therapy
- Get regular breast cancer screenings
Depression
Every year, 12 million women suffer from a depressive disorder
compared to 6 million men based on a report published by the
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Women are more affected by depression especially during hormonal
changes such as around menopause or after pregnancy (postpartum).
Risk Factors
According to NIMH, the risk factors associated with depression
are the following:
- Family history of depression
- Personal history of depression
- Severe chronic diseases
- Drug abuse
- Difficulties in life such as marital problems, financial
problems, death of a family, etc.
- Recent surgery
- Too much worrying or chronic anxiety
- History of heart diseases
- Diseases that could trigger depression such as thyroid
disease and vitamin deficiency
- Having an eating disorder
What Can You Do?
To reduce the risk of depression, NIMH recommends the following:
-
finding a reason to live every day
-
be passionate at your job, live in a supportive community
-
finding a significant other
-
adopt a pet
-
volunteer for a cause
Also avoid using drugs that could trigger depression such
as medications for seizures or hypertension.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world
regardless of gender. According to a CDC report, heart disease
accounts for the 29% of deaths among women.
The American Heart Association (AHA) lists the following
risk factors for heart disease for women:
-
Family History
-
Personal History
-
Hypertension
-
Hypertension
-
Too much cholesterol
-
Lack of physical activity
-
Smoking
-
Diabetes
-
Obesity
What Can You Do?
AHA's Go Red Campaign recommends the following activities
to prevent heart disease:
-
Exercise to stay fit and lose weight
-
Follow a well-balanced diet
-
Quit Smoking
-
Get enough sleep
-
Control cholesterol
-
Control blood pressure
-
Reduce Blood Sugar
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a highly-preventable disease, but it affects
44 million Americans, in which 68% are women.
The behaviors that people develop in their early life plays
a crucial role in the development of the disease.
It is important to keep bones strong and prevent fractures.
Risk Factors
The risk factors of osteoporosis, according to the National
Osteoporosis Foundation, include:
- Gender (women are more vulnerable to the disease)
- Old age
- Weak bones
- Family history
- Ethnicity: Caucasian and Asian women are more at risk
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Estrogen loss due to menopause
- Anorexia
- Insufficient Vitamin D and calcium in the body
- Intake of medications such as anticonvulsants and glucocorticoids
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol
What Can You Do?
-
Enrich calcium intake
-
Get enough Vitamin D
-
Reduce caffeine intake
-
Avoid bone fractures
-
Avoid certain medications such as steroids and proton
pump inhibitors
-
Schedule for a bone density test
-
Don�t deprive yourself of protein
-
Eat foods that are rich in omega 3 and monosaturated
fats
-
Quit smoking
-
Exercise to stay fit and healthy
Autoimmune Disorder
An autoimmune disorder happens when the immune system attacks
healthy tissues by mistake. There are more than 80 types of
autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes,
and lupus.
In a recent report published by the American Autoimmune Related
Diseases Association (AARDA), about 78% of autoimmune diseases
affects women.
Risk Factors
- It is still not known what causes the immune system to go
awry, but hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors are suspects.
- Pinpointing specific risk factors is difficult because autoimmune
diseases are still subject for medical research. Also, symptoms
can also be nonspecific, which could hinder proper diagnosis.
What Can You Do?
Experts suggest the following practices to avoid and reverse
autoimmune disorder:
-
Keep your digestive tract healthy
-
Chew your foods thoroughly
-
Control protein intake
-
Eat vegetable, fruits, and whole grains
- Rest and sleep well
