Women need to become more aware of the risks of cardiovascular disease and pay more attention to prevention. According to physician Shalini Dwarkasing-Ramautar, cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death among women. She therefore advocates for more information on risk factors and the symptoms of a heart attack in women.
Dwarkasing-Ramautar told the Communicatie Dienst Suriname (CDS, Suriname’s government communication service) that cited data show that a significant proportion of women in Suriname are affected by cardiovascular disease. According to her, this underlines the need to bring the issue more emphatically to the attention of society.
“It is actually much closer to home than many people think,” the physician states.
Dwarkasing-Ramautar is a member of the Heart for Women committee of the Rotary Club of Paramaribo Quota. In the run-up to World Heart Day on September 29, the committee is paying extra attention to cardiovascular disease among women.
Symptoms in women may be different
According to the physician, it is important for women to know that the symptoms of a heart attack are not always the same as in men. Precisely because of this, signals in women may be recognised less quickly, she says.
The committee therefore wants to distribute more information about the various complaints women may experience. Worldwide, World Heart Day is also used to draw attention to cardiovascular disease among women through Dress Red Day, when people wear red clothing and buildings are illuminated in red.
The theme of World Heart Day for the 2024-2026 period is “Use Heart for Action”.
Healthy lifestyle can reduce risk
Dwarkasing-Ramautar emphasises that various risk factors can be influenced. According to her, women can take measures from a young age to reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.
These include healthy nutrition, sufficient exercise, not smoking, avoiding alcohol and sufficient rest.
“It is very important to pay attention to nutrition from a very early age. What you put into your body can have a negative or positive effect. If you can regulate that properly, you have already prevented a great deal,” the physician said.
Information should begin at school
According to Dwarkasing-Ramautar, society is still insufficiently informed about the symptoms of a heart attack in women. The Heart for Women committee therefore wants to organise activities not only around World Heart Day, but throughout the year.
These include lectures, health measurements and informational videos. The aim is to better inform people while at the same time lowering the threshold for seeking medical help.
The committee believes that information about a healthy lifestyle should begin at a young age. “It is best if you can actually start at schools,” Dwarkasing-Ramautar says.
The organisation also hopes to share its programmes with policymakers, so that information about cardiovascular disease can be applied more broadly.
On September 27, the committee will participate in the World Heart Day Run Events, also known as Hearts Run Together, organised by the Thorax Centrum Paramaribo. During the event, information will be provided and interested persons can have various health measurements carried out.
