{"id":903,"date":"2019-03-27T16:14:04","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T16:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stonegateblog.wpengine.com\/?p=903"},"modified":"2020-11-06T22:08:10","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T22:08:10","slug":"womens-health-beating-the-odds-over-age-65","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpsnf.com\/womens-health-beating-the-odds-over-age-65\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Health: Beating the Odds Over Age 65"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s a fact. Almost everywhere in the world, women live longer than men<\/a>. It\u2019s also a fact that older women are more likely than men to be coping with ongoing health challenges.
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Statistics tell the story: 49% of women have three or more chronic health conditions compared with 38% of men (see box).   
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Why?
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\u201cThe reasons are many,\u201d says Neeta Nayak, MD, CMD, a Board-certified geriatrician and physician also trained in hospice and palliative medicine. She has served on StoneGate\u2019s Medical Advisory Council for over a decade. \u201cProbably the biggest reason is that women typically are nurturers, always taking care of someone else. They have less time to take care of their own needs and often neglect their health.\u201d
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A second major reason for the health discrepancy between men and women is a decrease in the female hormone estrogen after menopause. \u201cWithout the protective effects of estrogen, women face an increased risk of a host of health challenges,\u201d Dr. Nayak says. Conditions can range from heart disease and increased risk of stroke to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, breast cancer, insulin resistance<\/a>, and a rise in LDL (\u201cbad\u201d) cholesterol<\/a> and the blood fat triglycerides<\/a>. Women are also more likely than men to show signs of depression<\/a> and anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stopping Heart Disease, the No. 1 Killer of Women<\/strong>
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The deadliest of all conditions affecting women is heart disease. It\u2019s the leading killer of men and women alike, but women are more likely to die after a heart attack<\/a> than men are. According to the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute<\/a>, one in eight women over the age of 65 has some form of heart disease.
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\u201cWomen typically develop heart disease 10 years later than men,\u201d Dr. Nayak says. \u201cUp until menopause, they\u2019re protected, since their bodies regularly produce estrogen, which helps keep arteries strong and flexible. After menopause, their risk grows exponentially.\u201d
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Heart attack symptoms<\/a> can differ in men and women. \u201cMen usually feel classic symptoms such as chest pain. While women may have chest pain during a heart attack, they may also have other symptoms such as intense fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and belly pain. It\u2019s easy to mistake these symptoms as other ailments, and women may not realize their heart muscle has weakened until the damage is discovered and it\u2019s too late to help them.\u201d  
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Staying Healthy: Tips for Senior Women   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wherever senior women are living \u2013 at home or in a senior care community, nursing home, skilled nursing facility (SNF), memory care, assisted living, or rehabilitation center \u2013 they can improve their prospects for good health. Dr. Nayak offers these tips:
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