What are the major threats to women’s health?

Are you aware of what the main threats to women’s physical wellbeing are? If your first thought is breast cancer or ovarian cancer, you will undoubtedly be surprised by the following lines.

In fact, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for the greatest number of casualties when it comes to members of the female sex, and this, more than all forms of cancer combined. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, and the type of cancer responsible for most female fatalities is likely not the one you are thinking of either. To this day, lung cancer still robs the greatest number of lives, and this applies to both women and men. The third most important killers are cerebrovascular accidents, better known as strokes, and the fourth is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). After these come Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, accidents, and finally, pneumonia and influenza (flu).

Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly prevalent in women because they generally live longer and one’s risk of suffering from this disease increases with age. As for accidents, the most prominent are traffic-related accidents and domestic falls. However, there are various measures to help prevent falls such as making sure that prescription eyeglasses are well adjusted, and that prescribed medications do not cause drowsiness or dizziness.

The good news is that other threats to women’s health can, for the most part, be avoided. For example, adopting healthier lifestyle habits such as being physically active regularly, quitting smoking, consuming alcohol moderately, lowering stress and adopting a well-balanced diet all contribute to living a healthier life. Furthermore, when it comes to elderly individuals, yearly influenza vaccines are offered to them at no cost to them. Getting a yearly flu shot substantially reduce the risk of hospitalization and deaths attributable to this virus, as well as to pneumonia.

Needless to say, every woman is unique and so is her risk profile. You should speak with your physician and pharmacist to discuss your personal risk profile. Together, you can elaborate a preventive plan tailored to your specific health assessment.