Women react to midlife differently from men because they are impacted by changes in their body that they identify as their reason for existence. This may cause them to feel depressed more than usual.
In some instances, depression has led to women suffering from serious heart conditions. Heart diseases are now a common and serious threat to their health. Medical practitioners are concerned with this trend because it is the leading killer of Americans.
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How Does Depression Affect the Heart?
Reactions to Depression
Depression results in one feeling demotivated stressed and uninterested with their welfare. Living and being healthy is not in their mind. One tends to reach out to comfort foods, lounging or sleeping excessively to console themselves and increasingly smoke and drink more alcohol while exercising less.
Physiological Manifestations in the Body of Depression
The body releases stress hormones as a result of the anxiety hence high levels of cortisol and glucose than normal. The result is different amounts of sticky platelets, the cells that are responsible for clotting of blood.
If one has a heart disease, it hastens the hardening of arteries which leads to a heart attack. Doctors treat depression to prevent this.
Facts of Heart Disease in Women
Women do not often think they are predisposed to heart disease but even with healthy lifestyles; they are still prone to it though there is a lot more focus on it affecting men. It is one of the dangerous diseases of women in America. Every minute a woman dies of heart disease, and it kills one in every three women.
There are one or more risk factors for developing heart disease in 90 percent of American women. In addition, the symptoms are different from those noticed in men.
Causes of Heart Disease
It is observed in the blood vessels and the heart system. One of the problems that result is the hardening of the arteries known as arteriosclerosis, a substance forms on the walls of the blood vessels narrowing the arteries and lead cause blood clots to form.
This can stop blood flow and cause a heart attack or a stroke. The heart may not be able to pump adequate blood causing heart failure due to inadequate oxygen. It can also lead to the heart beating irregularly either too fast or too slow a condition known as arrhythmia.
The other result is the heart’s valves collapse and blood leaks, or they bulge causing backflow of the blood as they prolapsed into the upper heart chamber.
Depression Does and Can Lead to Heart Diseases in Midlife Women
Statistics show that even in women over 18 it is a leading killer, it is more likely to result in cardiovascular disease in the older women because they are less liable to be keen on symptoms.
They are likely not to detect it on time because there is a higher focus on breast cancer and other ailments. Depression is often taken lightly, and medical attention may not be sought for simple complaints. Self-diagnosis is often used, and comfort is found in food and an increase in leisurely habits.
The onset of a heart disease may only be determined when acute symptoms are observed or accidentally during medical check-ups. The average mental functioning is absent, and this prevents women from being alert to the symptoms of potential heart disease.
Take away from this article is to provide awareness for our female readers who wants to stay ahead of this potential issue. Our article is to change the perception of cardiovascular disease and how common it is for midlife women. Please check out our heart rate monitor article to help you understand the importance of tracking and monitoring your heart. We recommend our readers to start taking charge of their health by performing in high-intensity workouts by using the upright exercise bikes. Please note that this review will help you to choose the best machine for your home use.