St. Francis Hospital | Life & Health | Spring 2017

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6 q &HEALTH
STROKE
BRITTLE BONES
ALCOHOL
ABUSE
HEART
DISEASE
BREAST CANCER
WOMEN’S HEALTH
What to know
IF YOU’RE LIKE many women today, you may juggle family,
friends, kids and a career. That often doesn’t leave much time for yourself—or
your health. But a healthy life should be a priority for everyone, including you. A
good place to start is with a visit to your doctor. It’s also impor-
tant to know some of the key health risks women face.
Every year, 55,000 more women
than men have strokes in the U.S. Many stroke
risk factors, such as high blood pressure and
high cholesterol, are the same for both sexes. But women
also have unique risk factors for stroke, including taking
birth control pills and being pregnant.
Compared to men,
women feel alcohol’s
immediate effects more
quickly and are more likely to
develop long-term health problems from
drinking.
As many as
5.3
MILLION
WOMEN
in the U.S.
abuse
alcohol.
This No. 1 KILLER
of women is
RESPONSIBLE
for more than
female
DEATHS
EVERY
in 1 5
in the U.S.
Chest pain is the most
common heart attack
symptom. But women
are more likely than
men to have shortness
of breath, nausea or
vomiting, and back or
jaw pain.
On average, women have about a
of being diagnosed with
breast cancer at some point
in their lives. But that also
means the chance of never
getting breast cancer is
about 7 in 8.
1in 8 CHANCE
Lung cancer, most often caused by
smoking, is the leading cancer killer
of women. And babies born to women
who smoke have a raised risk of dying
from sudden infant death syndrome.
SMOKING
Though tobacco use is declining, more
than of women 18 and older
still smoke cigarettes. 13%
Roughly 1 in 2 women
age 50
will break a bone because
of osteoporosis. A bone density test can
detect bone-weakening osteoporosis.
OVER
Sources: American Heart Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health; National Osteoporosis Foundation; National Stroke Association
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