42 Women’s risk of heart disease



Heart disease1 is the world’s leading cause2 of death3. Yet4 most cases can be prevented5. Doctors say reducing deaths from heart disease will require6 not only changes7 in the way people live8.

It will also9 require changes in public policy10, and better11 public knowledge12 about differences in heart disease between13 men and women. Two conditions, coronary artery14 disease and microvascular disease, can both reduce15 blood flow16 to the heart.

Experts17 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston say heart disease in women18 is more likely19 to be caused by microvascular disease. Finding20 this condition may require21 tests other than22 an angiogram.

An angiogram is a kind of23 X-ray test. Doctors use it to look for24 a buildup25 of fatty plaque26 material that can block arteries. Arteries carry27 oxygen-rich blood28 away from29 the heart to the rest of the body.

The World Health Organization30 says heart disease kills31 eighteen million women a year. And these are not just older women. Carrie Vincent had a heart attack32 after giving birth33 to her first child34 at the age35 of thirty-one.

Ms. Vincent is now taking36 her message to women at meetings37 in their homes38 through39 an organization called40 Sister to Sister. Irene Pollin started Sister to Sister to educate women about heart disease. Ms. Pollin urges41 women to learn about42 their blood pressure43, cholesterol levels44 and other risk factors45 for heart disease.

Ms. Pollin teamed up with46 a heart specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Joanne Foody works mostly47 on prevention efforts48. She says, “The good news49 is we know that ninety percent of heart disease is preventable50 by reducing risk.”

That means51 not smoking, and it means controlling or avoiding52 diabetes. It also means keeping a healthy weight53 and eating healthy foods54. And it means exercising at least55 thirty minutes on most days56 and managing or reducing stress.

 Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian at the Harvard School of Public Health also has other advice57. He says people should eat58 more fish, whole grains59, vegetables, vegetable oils and nuts60, and reduce the amount of salt61 and trans fats62 in their diets.

Trans fats can increase63 the risk of heart disease.Heart disease increasingly64 affects women in developing countries65. Dr. Mozaffarian places a lot of blame66 on the global epidemic of obesity67. He says, “People are getting68 chronic diseases not from eating too much, but eating poorly69. And so in fact70 what they’re not eating is actually71 probably mostly what’s harming72 them.” For VOA Special English, I’m Alex Villarreal. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 26Oct2011)

Vocabulário

  1. Heart disease = doença cardiac
  2. world’s leading cause= a causa principal do mundo
  3. death = morte
  4. Yet = porém
  5. Prevented = prevenidos
  6. Require = exigir
  7. not only changes =não somente mudanças
  8. in the way people live = na forma em que as pessoas vivem
  9. also = também
  10. public policy = política pública
  11. better = melhor
  12. knowledge = conhecimento
  13. between = entre (duas  coisas)
  14. coronary artery = artéria coronária
  15. can both reduce = podem ambas reduzir
  16. blood flow = fluxo sanguíneo
  17. Experts = especialistas
  18. Women = mulheres
  19. more likely = mais provavel
  20. Finding = descobrir
  21. may require = pode exigir
  22. other than = além de
  23. kind of = tipo de
  24. look for = procurer
  25. buildup = acúmulo
  26. fatty plaque = placa gordurosa
  27. carry = transportam
  28. oxygen-rich blood = sangue rico em oxigênio
  29. away from = para longe de
  30. World Health Organization = Organização Mundial de Saúde
  31. Kills = mata
  32. heart attack= ataque cardiac
  33. after giving birth = após dar a luz
  34. child = criança, filho(a)
  35. age = idade
  36. taking = levando
  37. meetings = encontros, reuniões
  38. homes= lares
  39. through = através
  40. called  = chamado(a)
  41. urges = incentive
  42. learn about = aprender sobre
  43. pressure = pressão
  44. levels = níveis
  45. risk factor = fatores de risco
  46. teamed up with = uniu-se com
  47. mostly = principalmente
  48. prevention efforts  = esforços de prevenção
  49. good news = boa notícia
  50. preventable = evitável
  51. means = significa
  52. avoiding = evitar
  53. keeping a healthy weight = manter um peso saudável
  54. healthy foods = alimentos saudaveis
  55. at least = pelo menos
  56. on most days = na maioria dos dias
  57. other advice = outro conselho
  58. should eat = deveriam comer
  59. whole grains, = grãos integrais
  60. nuts = nozes
  61. reduce the amount of salt  = reduzir a quantidade de sal
  62. trans fats = gorduras trans
  63. increase = aumentar
  64. increasingly = cada vez mais
  65. developing countries = países em desenvolvimento
  66. places a lot of blame = coloca muita culpa
  67. obesity = obesidade
  68. getting = pegando
  69. poorly = pobremente, insuficientemente
  70. in fact = na verdade
  71. actually = realmente
  72. harming = prejudicando