Diseases that attack women differently than men

Some say women are acutely aware of their bodies. We know we must go to the doctor for our yearly physicals and Pap tests to rule out X, Y and Z. But a recent health study called the Women's College Hospital X-Effects Health Index reveals that many women don't understand enough about how chronic illness and diseases could affect them.

Disease differentiates between sexes
"When it comes to health, women and men are just not the same," says Marilyn Emery, CEO of Women's College Hospital in Toronto. "[In the study,] we wanted to find out how well Canadian women understand that symptoms, diagnoses, treatments and medications may be different because of their gender."

The study revealed that women need access to more information about chronic diseases and illnesses so that they can take charge of their health and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. 

Talk to your doctor
If you only head to the doctor when something is wrong, you may be missing out on important health care. Dr. Danielle Martin, a family physician at Women's College Hospital, recommends engaging in what doctors refer to as self-care and self-management. This means taking proactive steps to maximize your health between medical appointments. "The doctor is not just a place to go when you're sick, it's a place to go to keep yourself well," she says.

That's not to say you should bombard your doctor with questions about every major disease; rather, understand your risks for disease based on your age, family medical history and lifestyle. Then you can focus on getting answers that address your core concerns.

The Women's Health Matters website offers 10 important questions that women should discuss with their doctors based on relevancy to their lives.

How can I take charge of my health?
To improve your overall health, take steps to lead a healthy lifestyle. This includes exercising, getting enough sleep and having a balanced diet. "Those kinds of basic things can go a long way," says Dr. Martin.

Dr. Martin's proactive steps for women's health include:

-Regular screening and prevention for common illnesses
-Mammograms every one to two years after the age of 50
-Colon cancer screening every one to two years after the age of 50
-Regular Pap tests
-Taking adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis
-Updated immunizations

Click to continue and learn more about diseases that affect women in unique ways...

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Here are some of the diseases and illnesses you may want to discuss with your doctor if you feel you may be at risk.

Diabetes
Did you know? About half (48 per cent) of women surveyed believe both men and women are experiencing the same rise in occurrence of Type 2 diabetes.

Fact: Women between the ages of 20 and 50 are experiencing the biggest rise in diabetes incidence.

There are several risk factors that can determine whether a woman could get Type 2 diabetes, including genetic factors and certain lifestyle choices. While you can't do anything about genetic factors, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association, scientists believe that lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Examples of lifestyle changes include:
-Exercising and being active
-Maintaining a healthy body weight
-Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in processed foods and sugars
Women who have had gestational diabetes are also at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

For more information on diabetes, go to the Canadian Diabetes Association's site.

Heart disease and heart attacks
Did you know? Only one-third (36 per cent) of Canadian women are aware that sudden pain in the chest, arm, neck, jaw or back are not always the most common symptoms for a woman suffering a heart attack.

Fact: 43 per cent of women report unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting during a heart attack -- not chest pain.

Women need to understand they are more likely to have atypical symptoms of a heart attack than men, says Dr. Martin who cautions that some people with diabetes can have a heart attack and not even know it. So it's important for people with diabetes to hit their blood sugar targets and control cholesterol.

Furthermore, according to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women.

Women can have completely asymptomatic heart disease such as clogged arteries, says Dr. Martin. If you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and if you smoke, are overweight and sedentary, you're at risk and you need to talk to your doctor, she says.

For more information about heart disease and heart attacks, visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada's website.

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Depression
Did you know? 61 per cent of women are unaware that the number of men and women that experience depression in their lifetime is not the same.

Fact: Research shows women are twice as likely as men to experience depression.

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, "many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women -- particularly during times such as menstrual cycle changes, pregnancy and postpartum, miscarriage, pre-menopause, and menopause."

Research shows that exercise is a great antidepressant. "Studies have shown cardiovascular exercise can greatly improve peoples' moods," says Dr. Martin. "I encourage people prone to depression to maintain a regular, and predictable routine."
It's also important that women talk to their doctors about their symptoms so they can seek the appropriate treatment. For more information on depression, visit the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health website.

Arthritis
Did you know? Nearly half (45 per cent) of women did not know more women suffer from arthritis than men.

Fact: Two-thirds of Canadians living with arthritis are women. And women are twice as likely to be disabled by arthritis as men.

"People often will write off joint pain as the aches and pains of getting older," says Dr. Martin. And a common misconception is that osteoporosis and arthritis have a connection. Arthritis is not normal and a woman who suffers from any joint pain should visit her doctor.

Even though there is no cure for arthritis, you can slow it down by staying active and maintaining a healthy body weight.

For more information, visit the Arthritis Society of Canada's website.

Cancer
Did you know? One-third (33 per cent) of women mistakenly believe that men and women who smoke develop lung cancer at the same rate.

Fact: Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to develop lung cancer, and women who never smoked are more likely to develop lung cancer than men who have never smoked.

One of the disturbing statistics Dr. Martin reports is that young women are the only group of people that's seeing an increase in smoking rates. Since the number 1 risk factor for developing lung cancer is smoking, we can expect to see even more cases of lung cancer among women as they age. It's important to educate today's youth about the dangers of smoking, regardless of whether they're male or female.

For more information on cancer, visit the Canadian Cancer Society.

*Statistics are from the Women's College Hospital X-Effects Health Index.

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