Best Docs Network Magazine Summer 2013 | Page 26

Gender ’ s Role in America ’ s

Top 10 Health Risks

Heart Disease
8.6 million women die from heart disease every year . Smoking and mental stress affect women ’ s hearts more than men ’ s . Did you know heart attacks are twice as fatal for women than men ?
Mental Health
Estrogen is known to help fight memory loss . after menopause , women ’ s estrogen ’ s levels drop causing women to be more susceptible to contracting alzheimer ’ s disease .
where the body stores fat plays a vital role in developing heart disease . Men are more likely to store fat in their abdominal area . extra abdominal fat also contributes to high blood pressure , high cholesterol and type ii diabetes .
while alzheimer ’ s is more prevalent in women , mental health issues are the primary cause of suicide in older men . Men ’ s suicide risk peaks in their 20s , and later in his 60s and 70s .
Cancer
Studies show women who have had their ovaries surgically removed before menopause are at a higher risk for developing lung cancer . Cancer is responsible for 22.2 % of deaths every year .
Unintentional Injuries
Falling is a large cause for concern in older women , diagnosed with osteoporosis more frequently . also , the rate of poisoning deaths increased 230 % from ages 45- 64 compared to men of the same age .
Stroke
Much like cancer , alcohol and cigarette consumption greatly increase one ’ s risk for having a stroke . Cutting out smoking and getting in some exercise will significantly cut down your chances of inducing a stroke .
while women aren ’ t as likely to suffer from a stroke , it is twice as likely that the stroke will be fatal . according to the american Stroke association , birth control pills increase a women ’ s risk for a stroke .
CLRD
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of accidental deaths in men . the keys to prevention are obvious : 1 ) wear your seat belt 2 ) Don ’ t drink and drive 3 ) Don ’ t text and drive . Men are three and a half times more likely to be charged with reckless driving than women .
Chronic lower respiratory Disease is responsible for 5.9 % of women ’ s deaths every year , 80 % of these are from smoking . ClrD and asthma are twice as common in women than men .
When sex-specific cancers are excluded , men are 67 % more likely to die from cancer . Specific reasons have not been found , but men ’ s social habits such as drinking and smoking rates play a vital role in developing lung and kidney cancer .
Similarly , ClrD is the cause of 5.3 % of deaths in men . Smoking once again is the primary cause , but the second leading cause is exposure to chemicals . also , wash your hands regularly to avoid catching the flu and pneumonia .
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