When it comes to heart health topics, it is very important that we all stay up to date. This becomes even more relevant if we suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, and even if we do not have these conditions, but someone in our family or circle does. It is important to know about the topic.
The American Heart Association has recently reported that people who participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs after suffering a major heart event improve their quality of life and long-term cardiovascular health.
However, there are significant differences in access, participation, and outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation for women compared with men. That is why women should emphasize and inform themselves about access to these programs and services.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a proven intervention that improves cardiovascular health and provides benefits such as a reduction in readmission rates, lower mortality rates, and an improved quality of life.
Cardiac rehabilitation programs typically include aerobic exercise and strength training, nutritional counseling, weight management, and management of cardiovascular risk factors.
People who participate in cardiac rehabilitation experience improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, including higher success rates in quitting smoking and greater reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as improvements in fasting glucose levels. Women who participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs have a greater reduction in mortality compared to men.
Despite the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation, women are underrepresented in these programs. Women are less likely to be referred to cardiac rehabilitation and, according to a study, referral rates to cardiac rehabilitation vary among adults of different racial and ethnic groups, 48% for white women, 34% for Black women, and 15% for Hispanic women.
In general, women’s enrollment rates are 36% lower than men’s. Women who enroll in cardiac rehabilitation tend to be older and have more comorbidities, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or obesity, compared with men.
Women are also affected by individual and social factors that determine their ability to participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs or complete them, such as caregiving responsibilities, difficulties with transportation, scheduling conflicts, financial limitations – including lack of health insurance – and limited social support. Women from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups tend to report costs, such as high copays or transportation costs, as barriers to cardiac rehabilitation compared with white women.
Women with a history of breast cancer or gynecologic cancer often have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, and certain cancer treatments have adverse cardiovascular effects that increase cardiovascular risk during treatment and after.
So, let’s listen to the experts, seek help. Especially women, because taking care of their health is also a very important part.
Remember that everything starts with information, and if we know the options that exist, it is easier to take care of ourselves.
What do you think?
