May 02, 2016
Heart checks at 45 for wahine Maori
The Heart Foundation wants women to take heart health seriously.
It's launching its annual Go Red For Women campaign today, highlighting risk factors and urging check ups.
Medical director Gerry Devlin says heart disease is the single biggest killer of New Zealand women, claiming the lives of more than 50 women each week.
He says women often put off their own health behind family commitments and other pressures, and they are less likely than men to talk to a GP about their heart health.
Even if they don't feel at risk, Maori, Pacific and Indo-Asian women need check-ups from the age of 45, while European women should get their heart checked from the age of 55.
Women with known risk factors such as a family history of heart attack or stroke, who smoke or who have high blood pressure should also get their heart checked from aged 45.
The warning signs of a heart attack, can vary between men and women, with women often experiencing less obvious symptoms such as discomfort in the upper back, nausea, sweating and unusual fatigue rather than the usual chest pain or discomfort.
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