Living With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Back in 1988, when Anita Dueñas was 17, she was sent to the gynecologist for the first time because of symptoms she was experiencing. The doctor examined her and then took her into his office where he got out his Dictaphone and dictated medical and Latin jargon while she sat …

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5 Ways High Blood Pressure is Particularly Dangerous in Women

It’s called the “silent killer.” You could have it right now, and not even know it. According to the American Heart Association: 7 percent of non-Hispanic white women have it 47 percent of non-Hispanic black women have it 8 percent of Mexican American women have it In 2009, it killed …

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Sleep Apnea May be More Dangerous for Women than for Men

When it comes to heart attacks, a woman’s symptoms are subtler than a man’s. Whereas a man may have fierce chest pain, a woman may feel nauseated, tired, and out of sorts. It took us decades to discover the difference. Meanwhile, women may have had fewer heart attacks then men, …

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Diabetic Retinopathy – When Are Women at Greater Risk?

People who have diabetes are at risk for diabetic eye disease, the most common one being diabetic retinopathy. As the American Optometric Association explains, this condition occurs when “elevated blood sugar damages the delicate blood vessels inside the eye, causing them to leak, bleed, and become blocked.” In some people, …

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Too Hot to Sleep? Severe Hot Flashes Linked to Greater Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Early diagnosis important to control risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, and death Source: The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Many menopausal women complain about poor sleep. Should the problem be blamed simply on menopause or on a more serious underlying sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? What, if …

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Get Rhythm—What Women Need to Know About Afib

Do you have rhythm? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 2.7 to 6.1 million people don’t. Instead, they have a condition known as “atrial fibrillation”—also called “Afib” or “AF”—that causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or in an irregular way. The …

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Metabolic Syndrome Creeping Up on Women—How to Stop It

Women are catching up with men. But not in a good way. According to a 2006 study, it used to be that more men than women had metabolic syndrome—a dangerous cluster of risk factors that identify people at a high, long-term risk for narrowed arteries, cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral vascular …

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