Main Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
According to the World Heart Federation (WHF, 2016), the majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD)’s etiology stems from risk factors that can easily be controlled or managed or modified although a few other risk factors cannot be controlled. For that matter, the risk factors can be grouped into two broader categories (I) modifiable factors and (II) non-modifiable factors. For the modifiable factors, they include hypertension, cholesterol, unhealthy diets, obesity and overweight, physical inactivity, and the use of tobacco (WHF, 2016). On the other hand, the non-modifiable factors include age; the risk of CVD increases with age because as a person ages, their heart muscle gets strained and thus the risk of getting the disorder arises. Gender is another factor. Males have a higher risk of getting CVD than females in the pre-menopausal stage. However, women in the post-menopause stage have the same risk of getting CVD as men. In addition, family history plays a role. Some families are genetically predisposed to CVDs and so their lineages are at a higher risk of getting the disorder (WHF, 2016).
Mortality Rate of First Time Myocardial Infarction for Men vs. Women
Previous studies have highlighted that when it comes to first time myocardial infarction, women are a higher risk of succumbing to the attack than males. In a study conducted by Marrugat et al. (1998) conducted a study in which they examined differences in mortality rates between males and females who encountered first time myocardial infarction. The researchers conducted a study involving 1129 males and 331 females all aged 80 years or younger. The researchers examined survival rate after 28 days following first time myocardial infarction and readmission after 6 months. In their study, the researchers found that females that had previous angina, diabetes or hypertension were highly predisposed to first time myocardial infarction than their male counterparts. In fact, the study showed that the females have a more lethal first time myocardial infarction than males in the same age group.
Additionally, the study found that the females have a higher 28-mortality than males. In other words, more fatalities were reported in females in the 28 day period following an attack with first time myocardial infarction. In addition, the study indicated that with respect to readmission after six months following first time myocardial infarction, still women recorded a higher rate. Mortality rates among women after six months of first time myocardial infarction were higher than those in males. Bottom line is females experience higher mortalities than males following first time myocardial infarction.
Similarities and Differences between Symptoms Experienced In Males vs. Females.
In terms of symptoms, women still take center stage. Women experience mainly the following symptoms: palpitations, dizziness, back pains, and nausea (Berg et al., 2009). In addition, women tend to experience more symptoms than males. Males experience the above symptoms but at a lower rate when compared to females (Berg et al., 2009). However, it has been found that chest pain is the most common symptom in both genders (Berg et al., 2009). There are no significant differences between the two genders when the following involving the following symptoms: shoulder or arm pain, lightheadedness, jaw pain, vomiting, abdominal pain, neck pain, fatigue, dyspnea, and diaphoresis (Berg et al., 2009).
Importance of Electrocardiography in the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction
ECG is an important diagnostic test for myocardial infarction. The latest ECG test classifies patients into three groups. The first group, there are patients that have an elevation the ST segment (Sgarbosaa et al., 1996). These patients are suspected to have an acute injury and can be treated using acute reperfusion therapy. The second group has patients whose ST segment is depressed or in another case, the T segment is inverted and this points to the possibility of ischemia (Sgarbosaa et al., 1996). The third group has those patients with normal ECG; those that are normal but this does not mean they are 100% okay; there is possibility of acute myocardial infarction (Sgarbosaa et al., 1996). For that matter, it can be noted that ECG plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. In the first place, the test employs up to date imaging techniques that detect the waves of heart by grouping them in different segments namely ST segment, T wave, and QRS complex (Sgarbosaa et al., 1996). The study of these segments helps the physician to tell the possible cause of heart malfunctions that are causing a myocardial infarction.
In summary, the majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD)’s etiology stems from risk factors that can easily be controlled or managed or modified although a few other risk factors cannot be controlled. The risk factors can be grouped into two broader categories (I) modifiable factors and (II) non-modifiable factors. When it comes to first time myocardial infarction, women are a higher risk of succumbing to the attack than males. Mortality rates among women after six months of first time myocardial infarction were higher than those in males. Bottom line is females experience higher mortalities than males following first time myocardial infarction. Women experience mainly the following symptoms: palpitations, dizziness, back pains, and nausea. Chest pain is the main symptom present in both genders. The latest ECG test classifies patients into three groups; elevation in the ST segment, ST segment is depressed or in another case, the T segment is inverted, and normal ECG.
References
Berg, J. et al. (2009). Symptoms of a first acute myocardial infarction in women and men. Gend Med. 6(3). 454-62. doi: 10.1016/j.genm.2009.09.007.
Marrugat, J. et al. (1998). Mortality differences between men and women following first myocardial infarction. JAMA, 280(16), 1405-9.
Sgarbossa, E., et al. (1996). Electrocardiographic diagnosis of evolving acute myocardial infarction in the presence of left bundle-branch block. GUSTO-1 (Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries) Investigators. N Engl J Med 334, 481.
World Heart Federation (WHF, 2016). Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors. Retrieved from http://www.world-heart-federation.org/press/fact-sheets/cardiovascular-disease-risk- factors/
