Description: CHENNAI: Social Welfare Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna on Tuesday called for launching lifestyle counselling and health education for women “who have a poor record of looking after themselves.”

Formally releasing a booklet on “Heart Risks And Women” brought out by Apollo Hospitals, Dr. Poongothai said the supposition that ischemic heart disease was a concern of men was a myth against increasing evidence showing women to be equally at risk for coronary artery disease.

Emphasising the need for women to keep their weight under control through diet and exercise, Dr. Poongothai pointed out that obesity, which was an important risk factor for heart disease, had become a major health concern in urban centres, thanks to increased urbanisation. The data from the latest National Family Health Survey showed that obesity/overweight was not only prevalent among urban women but was also increasing, she said.

Pointing out that a majority of diabetics were obese, the Minister said this combination was all the more dangerous. According to projections, the number of diabetes patients in India was expected to grow to 57 million in the next two decades, she said.

The Minister released the booklet by handing over the first copy to Nina Reddy, executive director, Hotel Savera.

Ms. Nina Reddy urged women to “take responsibility for your wellbeing.” She recommended everyday exercise, particularly cardio-workouts, that promoted emotional wellbeing and enabled women to be socially active.

Preetha Reddy, managing director, Apollo, said the booklet aimed to make women more aware of the need to take their health more seriously. Traditionally, women have tended to least prioritise their own health issues and that situation had to be reversed.

P. Ramachandran, cardiologist, said contrary to the misnotion, women were as much at risk of suffering heart attack and heart disease as men. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women over 65 years.

The key differentiator was that women were prone to develop heart disease some 15-20 years later than the mean age onset in men as a consequence of the protective mechanism of menstrual hormones wearing off. Pointing that there was a high possibility of missing a diagnosis of a heart ailment in women as classical ECG patterns were non-specific, Dr. Ramachandran urged women to have the first signs of breathlessness or fatigue evaluated by a clinician. Importantly, modern medicine had started to evaluate psychosocial factors such as depression and stress as risk factors for ischemic heart disease, the cardiologist said.