2023-04-17 14:04:15
“Cardiovascular problems are on the increase among young women,” worries cardiologist Catherine Monpère in Indre-et-Loire. Smoking, physical inactivity, stress, contraception: the lifestyle of women under 35 makes them vulnerable to the risk of cardiovascular disease. While these pathologies are increasing in this population, it remains the least informed, alert cardiologists.
“The risk factors of smoking and sedentary lifestyle cause women to lose the protection they naturally enjoy until menopause thanks to estrogens”, explained Catherine Monpère on Thursday, during a press conference of the French Federation of cardiology (FFC). The specialist deplores in passing “a degradation of knowledge among the youngest”.
Tobacco more dangerous for women
Asked about cardiovascular risk factors (stroke, myocardial infarction, hypertension, etc.), barely 16% of those under 35 cite tobacco, in an IFOP survey of January 2023 for the FFC among 1,002 women over 18. . Smoking is however one of the main risk factors, especially for women: “With equal consumption of cigarettes, the cardiovascular risks are 25% higher for them”, recalls Doctor Monpère.
And their daily tobacco consumption is not decreasing: in December 2022, Public Health France reported an increase in 2021 (to 23% against 20.7% in 2019). Another neglected factor: a sedentary lifestyle and the lack of physical activity that lead to obesity.
Contraceptives to avoid
While women can try to limit these risk factors, there are others over which they have little control. They are thus particularly vulnerable at the key moments of their hormonal life, starting with contraception.
However, some women are misinformed “and use contraception with estrogen when they have a contraindication (tobacco, overweight, diabetes, migraines)” which weakens them, explains cardiologist Claire Mounier-Vehier, co-founder of the Association Acting for the Hearts of Women. “It is not acceptable to die because of contraindicated contraception,” she judges.
200 deaths per day
Pregnancy and postpartum should also be closely monitored. “Only 25% of women are aware of an increased risk during pregnancy,” recalls the study by the French Federation of Cardiology. Other pathologies, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or endometriosis are risk factors. “Because of ovarian over-stimulation, women who have had recourse to medically assisted procreation (PMA) are also more vulnerable”, specifies Stéphane Manzo-Silberman, cardiologist at Pitié-Salpêtrière.
It is still necessary that health professionals do prevention with those who do not necessarily fall into the box of people at risk. With 200 deaths per day and 76,000 per year, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death among women. However, “in 8 out of 10 cases, the onset of the disease can be avoided thanks to prevention”, recalls Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes, who travels across France to inform and prevent these risks.
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