Online CPR Certification Blog
Heart Disease and Its Relation to Mothers and Daughters
Date: December 20th, 2014
A link among women
Nearly 2,200 patients became participants in a study that sought to identify a link that may exist between family history and incidences of heart disease. The results from the aforementioned study have been staggering, and they have indicated that the risk for women with mothers who have had episodes of strokes and other heart related ailments in the past is more than double for those with fathers who have had the same issues. The issues in question range all the way from massive strokes to relatively mild heart pain at rest. Despite the almost grim tone brought forth by the findings of the study, there is something positive to be gleaned from all of these.
History need not repeat
The studies indicate an unfortunate reality that women need to deal with, but this information can now also be used to help them formulate a better strategy for maintaining their long term health. Instead of reacting to the information gathered from the studies and being paralyzed by what they mean, the information can instead be taken as an indicator that even more precautions should be taken at an earlier time. Now that more women have access to this information, they can look up the medical history of their mothers and grandmothers to see if there is any cause for concern. If there is a heart attack or a stroke accounted for in the past of a female relative, then that just means that more attention should be given to preventative measures and the like, and if there is no such history to speak of, then perhaps a more relaxed approach to heart health can be taken. Ultimately, what the discovered is link between females and the history of heart health should be used mostly as a guide that can help lead people away from a more troubling future that presents them with more heart ailments to deal with.
Why only women
As of now, there has been no definitive reason discovered as to why heart disease is passed along better between women than it is with men or even from men to women, but there are possibilities that researchers are looking into. One possible reason states that the reason may be because women are better at reporting an accurate medical history than their male counterparts. While this is not in any way conclusive, it warrants mentioning for the scientific community. Another possible reason is said to be related to the differences in the genetics of men and women. The increased risk for heart disease may be something that is inherent within the female genes, and it could be causing the statistics to skew in one direction. As for now, studies are taking place to find a definitive reason for the issue.