Women's Health: Cancer and Heart Disease

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Questions and Answers

What is a common warning sign of uterine cancer?

Abnormal bleeding (correct)

Easy bruising

Enlargement of abdomen

Weight loss

Which cancer is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, paleness, and repeated infections?

Ovarian Cancer

Oral Cancer

Uterine Cancer

Leukemia (correct)

What is the most common risk factor for oral cancer?

Smoking (correct)

Poor diet

Recurrent infections

Multiple sex partners

Which cancer risk factors might be associated with uterine cancer?

Diet high in saturated fat Signup and view all the answers

What medical technology is used for detecting cancer?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Signup and view all the answers

What is the first sign of heart disease in postmenopausal women?

Chest discomfort Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a risk factor for heart disease in premenopausal women?

Age over 50 Signup and view all the answers

Which symptom is commonly associated with heart attacks in women?

Nausea Signup and view all the answers

Why might heart disease signs be overlooked in women?

Women often have vaguer symptoms Signup and view all the answers

Which technique is NOT typically used to diagnose heart disease?

Radiographic bone scan Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential downside to angioplasty compared to bypass surgery?

May need to be repeated Signup and view all the answers

Which medication is commonly used as a treatment for heart disease?

Cholesterol-lowering medications Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors does NOT contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women?

Higher incidence of diabetes in men Signup and view all the answers

Which type of diabetes is primarily linked to obesity and physical inactivity?

Type 2 Diabetes Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Canadians are estimated to have diabetes?

4.9% Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT a known risk factor for developing diabetes?

Living in urban areas Signup and view all the answers

What is angina pectoris primarily characterized by?

Severe chest pain Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a cause of stroke?

Ischemia Signup and view all the answers

What is a common complication associated with diabetes?

Eye disease and blindness Signup and view all the answers

What causes cancer characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells?

Neoplasms Signup and view all the answers

What is classified as chronic high blood pressure?

140/80 mmHg or higher Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)?

Physical inactivity Signup and view all the answers

Which demographic is most likely to experience a higher cancer mortality rate?

Older adults Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary type of cancer that causes the most deaths?

Lung cancer Signup and view all the answers

Which type of hypertension is most commonly reported?

Essential hypertension Signup and view all the answers

Which lifestyle factor is associated with increased cancer rates?

Tobacco use Signup and view all the answers

What condition is characterized by a damaged or overworked heart muscle?

Congestive heart failure Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following risks for cardiovascular diseases can be controlled?

Obesity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is caused by unresolved streptococcal infection of the throat?

Rheumatic heart disease Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a risk factor for cancer that may be influenced by negative emotional states?

Poor diet Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of new cancers worldwide is estimated to be attributable to infections?

17% Signup and view all the answers

Which virus is found in almost 100% of cervical cancer cases?

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the immune system in cancer prevention?

Suppress chronic inflammation Signup and view all the answers

Which classification of cancer affects the lymphatic system?

Lymphomas Signup and view all the answers

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was used in the past for what purpose, and what did it contribute to?

Estrogen replacement therapy; increase in certain cancers Signup and view all the answers

What type of tissues does sarcoma primarily affect?

Mesodermal tissues Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following chemicals is associated with producing nitrosamines and is a risk factor for cancer?

Sodium nitrate Signup and view all the answers

What accounts for the decline in death rates from cardiovascular disease?

Advances in medical techniques and treatment Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a recommended lifestyle choice to prevent cardiovascular disease?

Consuming high amounts of saturated fats Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the cardiovascular system?

Transport nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and enzymes Signup and view all the answers

According to the information, what percentage of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease could potentially be prevented?

80% Signup and view all the answers

Which component is NOT part of the cardiovascular system?

Kidneys Signup and view all the answers

What lifestyle factor is specifically mentioned as a means to reduce the risk of diabetes?

Engaging in regular physical activity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about cardiovascular disease is true?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of the cardiovascular system does it NOT regulate?

Sensory signals in the nervous system Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Health: Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Cancer

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, although death rates are declining. Advances in medical techniques, diagnostic procedures, emergency medical assistance, and CPR training contribute to this decline.
Eighty percent of premature deaths due to CVD are preventable through healthy dietary intake, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The cardiovascular system includes the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. It transports nutrients, oxygen, and hormones throughout the body, regulates temperature, water levels, and acidity levels of body components.
The heart has four chambers (2 atria, 2 ventricles) and valves that regulate blood flow. The sinoatrial node is a small group of specialized cardiac cells located in the right atrium of the heart. This structure emits electrical impulses that initiate each heartbeat, effectively setting the pace for the entire cardiovascular system. It is essential for maintaining the heart's rhythm and coordinating the contraction of the heart chambers. Disorders of the sinoatrial node can lead to arrhythmias, which may cause symptoms like palpitations, fatigue, or even fainting. As the heart's natural pacemaker, its normal functioning is crucial for overall cardiovascular health and effective blood circulation throughout the body.is the heart's natural pacemaker.
The average heart beats 70-80 times per minute, and faster during activity and stress. A healthy heart is more efficient and less likely to suffer damage.
Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium, travels to the right ventricle, then through the pulmonary artery to the lungs (to receive oxygen). Oxygenated blood travels from the lungs to the left atrium, to the left ventricle, and finally through the aorta to all parts of the body.

Learning Objectives

Understand the anatomy and physiology of the heart and circulatory system.
Identify various types of heart disease and associated risk factors.
Describe the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of diabetes.
Identify various types of cancer and associated risk factors.
Recognize the importance of lifestyle choices in preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Atherosclerosis: A type of arteriosclerosis, where fatty substances (plaque) build up in artery walls, potentially narrowing or blocking blood flow. Risk factors include fluctuations in blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, glucose levels, and cigarette smoking. This occurs gradually.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD): The major CVD. Plaque buildup in coronary arteries restricts blood flow to the heart. Complications include myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack caused by coronary thrombosis.
Angina Pectoris: Severe chest pain caused by reduced oxygen flow to the heart muscle due to decreased blood flow.
Ischemia: Insufficient blood flow relative to the tissue demand, resulting in a decrease in oxygen supply.
Stroke: Severely reduced or cut-off blood supply to the brain. Causes include thrombus (blood clot), embolus (wandering clot), and aneurysm (weakening of blood vessels that bulges or bursts).
Hypertension: A chronic high blood pressure (140/80 mmHg or higher), and classified as essential (most common) or secondary.
Other CVDs: Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), congestive heart failure (damaged or overworked heart muscle), congenital heart disease (present at birth), and rheumatic heart disease (caused by unresolved streptococcal throat infection).

Controlling Your Risks for Cardiovascular Diseases

Risks you can control: High blood pressure, blood fat and cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, and individual response to stress.

Risks You Cannot Control

Heredity, sex, age, and ethnicity.

Women and Cardiovascular Disease

Premenopausal women are less likely to experience CVD, except if risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, genetic predispositions to high cholesterol, family history, oral contraceptive use, or smoking are present.
After menopause, the risk of CVD in women rapidly increases.
Women's CVD symptoms may differ from men's, often presenting as chest discomfort rather than pain, and may be treated less aggressively by physicians. Warning signs include pain in the neck, jaw, or arms; heaviness in the shoulders, back, or pit of the stomach; feeling out of breath, tired, sweating, or nausea.
Reasons for overlooking women's symptoms include sex-bias in healthcare delivery, viewing CVD as a primarily male disease, and women declining major procedures more often than men. Also, symptoms are frequently vague, and treatment less aggressive after a heart attack, in comparison to men. Age, smaller arteries, and an increased incidence of post-infarction angina or heart failure also contribute.

New Weapons Against Heart Disease

Diagnostic techniques: Electrocardiogram (ECG), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrafast computed tomography (CT), and digital cardiac angiography (DCA).
Treatments: Angioplasty (less invasive treatment for coronary blockages), bypass surgery (sometimes questioned in favour of less invasive treatments), drugs like beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering medications, and aspirin, and thrombolysis (injection to dissolve clots).

Diabetes: Incidence and Mortality

Diabetes is a serious, costly, and widespread disease characterized by high blood sugar.
Rates of diabetes almost doubled between 1996/97 and 2005. An estimated 4.9% of Canadians have diabetes.
Type 1: An autoimmune disease destroying insulin-producing cells.
Type 2: Insulin production is deficient or the body cannot utilize all available insulin. (accounts for 90-95% of cases); linked to obesity and physical inactivity.
Gestational: Develops during pregnancy but may increase risk of developing type 2 later.
Risk factors: Family history, age, mothers of babies weighing more than 4kg (9 pounds), and certain ethnicities (African, First Nations, and Inuit).
Controlling diabetes: Insulin drugs and lifestyle changes (weight, diet, and physical activity).
Complications: CVD, eye disease/blindness, kidney disease, amputations, pregnancy complications, and flu/pneumonia-related deaths.

Cancer Incidence and Mortality

Approximately 171,100 new cases of cancer were projected in Canada in 2009.
Cancer mortality is declining for those under 70.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women.
Age, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and lifestyle affect cancer rates.

What is Cancer?

Uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.
Includes neoplasms (tumors—malignant and benign), biopsies, and metastasis.

What Causes Cancer?

Most cancers are preventable through healthy lifestyles and environments.
Theories behind factors for cancer causes include spontaneous errors in cell reproduction, external agents entering cells initiating cancerous growth (carcinogens), and oncogenes (suspected cancer-causing genes) present on chromosomes.

Risks for Cancer

Lifestyle: Anyone can develop cancer, but most cases occur in people over 55. Assessing lifetime and relative risks is important.
Smoking: Leading cause of preventable death worldwide, responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths annually in Canada. Lung cancer is the leading cancer death cause in both men and women, and smoking is related to many types of cancer.
Obesity: Cancer is more prevalent in obese people. Cancer risk increases with rising obesity rates. A strong correlation exists between high body mass index (BMI) and higher death rates from specific cancers.
Biological factors: Genetic predisposition and sex influencing cancer types (e.g., breast cancer).
Occupational and environmental factors: Workplaces contribute to a small percentage of cancers. Carcinogens include asbestos, nickel, chromate, benzene, arsenic, vinyl chloride, certain dyes, and radioactive/ionizing radiation (e.g., X-rays).
Social and psychological factors: Negative emotional states (stress, poor sleep, poor diet, and depression) may contribute to cancer.
Chemicals in food: Sodium nitrate (nitrosamines), pesticide, herbicide residues.
Infectious diseases: 17% of new cancers worldwide are attributed to infections (may influence via chronic inflammation, immune system suppression, or chronic stimulation).
Viruses (such as HBV and HCV): May stimulate liver cancer cells.
Human papillomavirus (HPV): Often implicated in cervical cancer; often found in almost 100% of cases, with vaccine availability.
Medical factors: Prescription drugs (e.g., Diethylstilbestrol (DES)) or estrogen replacement therapy, and chemotherapy may increase risk of certain cancers.

Types of Cancer

Carcinomas: Epithelial tissues (breast, lung, intestines, skin, mouth)
Sarcomas: Mesodermal tissues (bones, muscles, connective tissue)
Lymphomas: Lymphatic system
Leukemia: Blood-forming parts
Lung Cancer: Symptoms include persistent cough, chest pain, recurrent pneumonia/bronchitis. Only 15% live 5 years past diagnosis. Prevention: Avoid smoking and exposure to any smoke/industrial substances and radiation.
Breast Cancer: Almost 1 in 9 women develop this; risk increases with age. Warning signs include persistent changes (lump, thickening, swelling, or dimpling). Prevention includes physical activity and self-examinations/mammograms. Treatment includes mastectomy, lumpectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Colorectal Cancer: Warning signs include bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, or changes in bowel habits. Higher risk in those over 40, family history, and/or inflammatory bowel problems.
Prostate Cancer: Most common in men; risk rises with age. Warning signs include weak or interrupted urine flow, and other urinary difficulties.
Skin Cancer: Most people don't die from common skin cancer, but malignant melanoma is a significant killer of young women. Linked to sunlight exposure. Symptoms include unusual skin conditions/ABCDE warning signs.
Testicular Cancer: Ages 17-34 are at greatest risk. The cause is not always known, though undescended testicles carry a higher risk. Warning signs often include painless enlargement and/or thickening of testicular tissue. Self-examination is important.
Ovarian Cancer: Enlargement of the abdomen is a common sign. Prevention includes annual pelvic exams (Pap tests) and diets lower in saturated fat.
Uterine Cancer: Pap tests detect cervical cancer. Risk factors include multiple sex partners, smoking, and sexually transmitted infections. A warning sign is vaginal bleeding.
Leukemia: Cancer of blood-forming tissues. Symptoms include fatigue, paleness, weight loss, easy bruising, repeated infections, and nosebleeds. Survival has dramatically improved since the 1970s for lymphocytic leukemia.
Oral Cancer: Usually appears on lips, lining of cheeks, gums, or the floor of the mouth. Tobacco use is the most common risk factor.

Facing Cancer

Detecting Cancer: MRI, CAT scans and self exams/check-ups are effective in identifying cancer.
- Cancer's Seven Warning Signals: Changes in bowel or bladder habits, a sore that doesn't heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening/lumps, indigestion/difficulty swallowing, obvious changes in warts/moles, and a nagging cough/hoarseness.
Hope in Cancer Treatments: Surgery, radiotherapy (radiation), and chemotherapy (use of drugs).

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Description

This quiz focuses on important aspects of women's health, covering topics related to uterine and oral cancer, as well as risk factors and symptoms of heart disease. Test your knowledge on early warning signs, detection methods, and treatment options related to these critical health issues. Understand the unique challenges women face in recognizing and responding to these conditions.