A Balanced Heart Is A Healthy Heart
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By Team Adesso | Posted Aug 15, 2024
Women have been known to be at higher risk of dying while undergoing heart bypass surgery than men. It may be caused by more women having intraoperative anemia, which is a decrease in red blood cells during surgery.
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Anemia is more common in women than men because of pregnancy, having children and menstruation.
Women particularly who have heavier or longer periods lose more iron and blood than their bodies can replace. (A heavy period, as defined by gynecologists, lasts more than seven days or when a woman has to change pads or tampons constantly.)
During pregnancy, a mother’s blood volume increases to accommodate the baby, which can cause anemia. And then as she experiences blood loss during delivery and after birth, particularly if she hemorrhages, this can lead to anemia.
The symptoms of anemia can be like other health conditions. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
A recent Weill Cornell Medicine found that using some strategies for minimizing anemia during surgery could be beneficial for women with heart disease.
Some potential contributors to anemia are regular aspirin use that leads to gastrointestinal bleeding and/or gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers, colon polyps and colon cancer that lead to bleeding.
As anemia is related to a woman’s iron, eating iron-risk foods including lean red meat, legumes, and dark leafy greens can lower a woman’s risk of developing anemia. Additionally, having a diet that’s filled with vitamin C, folic acid, and B-12 can help mitigate risk.
