Denton County Living Well Magazine September/October 2018 | Page 48

FOR WOMEN ONLY (OR MOSTLY)
Five conditions every female should look out for
Courtesy Baylor Scott & White Health
M
any women know about breast and gynecolog-
ic cancers, and it’s no surprise why. More than
99 percent of breast cancer patients are wom-
en, and, obviously, 100 percent of gynecolog-
ic cancer patients are. But these aren’t the only
health issues to keep on the radar.
“Women tend to be very aware of their breast and gyneco-
logic health, which is great,” says Marian Steininger, MD,
an OB/GYN on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White
Medical Center – McKinney. “But they should also be famil-
iar with other conditions that commonly affect women, so
they can protect themselves.”
Take a look at five conditions that affect more women than
men and see what you can do about them.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Of the 5 million people in the U.S.
who have Alzheimer’s disease, near-
ly two-thirds are women, according
to the Alzheimer’s Association. Re-
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DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
searchers are unsure why.
One thing they do know is that women who keep their
ovaries have a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s
and dementia. If you’re facing a hysterectomy and decid-
ing whether to have your ovaries removed in addition to
your uterus, discuss this Alzheimer’s connection with your
doctor.
Other strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s are staying so-
cially and intellectually active (it keeps the brain stimulated)
and following a heart-healthy lifestyle (it lowers the risk of
other diseases that relate to cognitive decline).
Multiple Sclerosis
Women are up to
three times more
likely than men to
have multiple scle-
rosis (MS), an auto-
immune disease that
affects the central nervous system, according to the Na-
tional Multiple Sclerosis Society. Furthermore, the inci-