Central Peninsula Hospital | Thrive | Fall 2018

PULSE Fall 2018 7 Like many women today, you may juggle family, friends, kids and a career. That doesn’t leave much time for your health. But a healthy life should be a priority for everyone, including you. A good place to start is with a visit to your doctor and knowing some of the key health risks women face. Stroke 6 out of every 10 people who die from stroke are women. Many risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are the same for both sexes. Women also have unique risk factors for stroke, including taking birth control pills and being pregnant. Alcohol abuse As many as 5.3 million women in the U.S. abuse alcohol. Compared to men, women feel alcohol’s immediate effects more quickly and are more likely to develop long-term health problems from drinking. Brittle bones Eighty percent of the estimated 10 mil- lion Americans who have osteoporosis are women. A bone density test can detect bone-weakening osteoporosis. PULSE is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of Central Peninsula Hospital, 250 Hospital Place, Soldotna, AK, 99669, phone 907-714-4404 , website cpgh.org . CEO: Rick Davis Marketing Manager: Camille Sorensen Information in PULSE comes from a wide range of medical experts. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please call 907-714-4600 or email marketing@cpgh.org . 2018 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Central Peninsula Hospital and its clinics (collectively “CPH”) comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Translation and other services are available to you, free of charge by calling this number: 907-714-4404 . Smoking Though tobacco use is declining, more than 13 percent of women 18 and older still smoke cigarettes. Lung cancer, most often caused by smoking, is the leading cancer killer of women. And babies born to women who smoke have a raised risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome. Heart disease This No. 1 killer of women is responsible for 1 in every 4 female deaths in the U.S. Chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom. But women are more likely than men to have shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Breast cancer On average, women have about a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. But that also means the chance of never getting breast cancer is about 7 in 8. WOME N ’ S H E A LT H What to know Lori Lindsay, MD Central Peninsula Women’s Health 289 N. Fireweed, Suite D Soldotna, AK 99669 907-714-5300 Sources: American Cancer Society; American Heart Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health; National Stroke Association; Office on Women’s Health