So How Did You Do?
Check your answers. If you got fewer than half right, consider brushing up on your medical knowledge by subscribing to a free and reliable health e-newsletter, like the one from
WebMD.com or the federal government’s Healthy Woman Today (
www.4women.gov).
1.
B, heart disease. The kind of dramatic heart attack you see in movies isn’t always what happens in real life, especially to women. Women’s symptoms tend to be more subtle. “A woman headed for a heart attack may have increasing difficulty walking up a hill she walked up easily the week before,” says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg. “Then she may wake up in the throes of an attack, feeling breathless and nauseated and sweating.”
2.
B, heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of women overall, responsible for almost a third (28 percent) of women’s deaths. While it’s often thought of as an older person’s problem, young women should not be cavalier. Those who smoke and have poor diet and exercise habits can begin to have plaque buildup in their arteries in their teens, which can set the stage for cardiovascular disease. (See
Are You at Risk? Websites with Disease Risk Assessment Tools for how to assess your odds of developing heart disease.)
3.
B, at age 20. Early cholesterol tests may be important for staving off heart disease and stroke. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that people between ages 18 and 30 with such risk factors as high cholesterol and high blood pressure were two to three times more likely to have coronary-artery calcium, a form of plaque, 15 years later. To keep “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol up and “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol down, stick to low-fat dairy and lean meats, consume fish twice a week, and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
4.
A, diabetes. Four or more yeast infections in a year that do not respond well to treatment could be a sign of diabetes, a disease in which blood glucose levels are too high, due to either a deficiency of insulin or the failure of the body to respond normally to insulin. Sugar builds up in the blood and spills into the urine, explains endocrinologist
Francine R. Kaufman. The connection: Yeast thrives on sugar, so if diabetes is untreated, excess sugar from the urine may get into the vaginal area.
5.
D, staying trim and exercising. Women who avoid gaining a lot of weight as adults may be able to lower their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. What’s more, regular exercise may curb their risk of breast cancer at any age. As for drinking, it’s wise not to exceed one alcoholic drink a day. And if you choose hormone-replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms, opt for the lowest dose for the shortest time possible. Why? In short, estrogen. The growth of some types of breast cancer is fueled by this female hormone. Alcohol raises estrogen levels, and hormone-replacement therapy includes estrogen.
