• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Beauty & Health

Here Are 6 Health Conditions That Affect More Women Than Men

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Beauty & Health

Here Are 6 Health Conditions That Affect More Women Than Men

Being a woman makes you more likely to be diagnosed with certain health conditions, we find out why – and look at how you can beat the odds

October 29, 2020
Health conditions that affect women more than men

Canva

There’s a real, tangible “gender gap” with some diseases and we don’t mean obvious ones, such as breast cancer, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome. The reality is that women are more at risk of a few common health conditions, such as depression, insomnia, and migraines. The question is why, and what can you do about it? Here’s what you need to know about six health problems you’re more at risk of – just because you’re a woman.

READ NEXT

Consult Your Doctor If You Have These 11 Health Symptoms

Feeling Overwhelmed? 3 Wellness Experts Reveal Their Best Self-Care Tips

Mindful Eating: Here’s Why You Should Try It If You’re Sick Of Dieting

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/health-conditions-that-affect-more-women-than-men/
Here Are 6 Health Conditions That Affect More Women Than Men
Migraine
image

The stats: A research conducted by the Duke-NUS Medical School and Novartis found that migraines tend to be more common in adult women than in men. According to the Migraine Research Foundation in New York, women tend to suffer from migraine three times as often as men.

Why: Monthly hormonal fluctuations are thought to play a role — more than 50 per cent of migraines that occur in women strike just before, during, or after a monthly period. But lab-based research also suggests that women’s brains may have a faster trigger than men’s for activating the waves of the activity responsible for migraines.

Fight back by… Making sure your diet is full of folate-rich foods, such as spinach, citrus fruits, legumes, and eggs. Folate, a B-Vitamin, can significantly reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, by lowering levels of a headache-triggering protein called homocysteine.

Read Next

10 Fruits To Eat In The Morning For Better Weight Loss

10 Healthy Foods Preventing You From Losing Weight

Canva
Stroke
image

The stats: One in five women has a stroke in their lifetime compared to one in six men. According to the Singapore Heart Foundation, heart disease and stroke combined is the leading cause of death among women in Singapore.

Why: Women have some unique stroke risk factors. On top of that, the use of some types of hormone replacement therapies and contraceptive pills can increase the risk of blood clots, leading to an ischemic stroke. Women are also more at risk of experiencing blood vessel bursting in the brain, which causes a hemorrhagic stroke.

Fight back by… Doing more exercise. Your stroke risk falls by more than a third the fitter you are after the age of 45. One explanation is that exercising for more than four hours a week means you’re 20 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure, a known risk trigger for stroke.

Read Next

10 Fast And Effective Ways To Exercise and Tone Up

11 Easy Ways You Can Exercise Even When Busy

Canva
Rheumatoid Arthritis
image

The stats: It occurs in three times as many women as men.

Why: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a type of autoimmune disease, a group of diseases that are more prevalent in women than men. The exact reasons for this aren’t clear yet, but a combination of X-Chromosome and immunity-related genes, as well as hormones and environmental factors, is likely to play a role.

Fight back by… Eating oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines for at least once a week. These fishes are high in omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA, and these omega-3s help block inflammatory substances, which works to lower the risk of developing RA by as much as 52 per cent. Fish oils have also been found to decrease joint tenderness and stiffness in RA patients too.

Canva
Insomnia
image

The stats: A survey conducted in 2018 by Wakefield Research places Singapore as the second most in-need-of-sleep country, out of 12. Many international studies have also shown that insomnia is more common in women, compared to men.

Why: Hormonal changes play a role, particularly around menopause, which increases the risk of insomnia. On top of that, recent research shows that women may be more likely than men to inherit specific genes that increase the likelihood of experiencing insomnia.

Fight back by… Devoting 20 minutes a day to mindfulness meditation. According to a study, that can create a significant improvement in sleep quality for people living with insomnia. If you’re not sure how to meditate, download apps such as Headspace or Calm.

Read Next

How To Meditate In 5 Easy Steps - And Beat Sunday Blues

If Meditation Isn’t For You, Here’s Why You Should Try Intermittent Silence Instead

Canva
Depression
image

The stats: The Singapore Mental Health Study in 2017 found that the lifetime prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was higher among women (7.2 per cent) compared to men (4.3 per cent).

Why: Certain life events, specific to women, can increase the risk of depression, including having a baby or going through menopause early. Menopause is also a risk factor if you have a history of depression. Plus, women are more likely to be carers for other family members, which can increase the risk of depression.

Fight back by… Spending at least 30 minutes in a “green space” each week makes you much less likely to experience depression, 2016 study shows. It may be because the time in nature leads to decreased activity in a brain region associated with rumination or repetitive negative thoughts – a critical factor in the development of depression.

Read Next

10 Ways To Look After Your Mental Health At Work So You Don't Burn Out

7 Ways To Manage Your Mental Health During Covid-19

Canva
Alzheimer’s Disease
image

The stats: According to the 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report by the Alzheimer’s Association in the US, one in six women over the age of 65 will develop Alzheimer’s Disease, compared to one in 11 men.

Why: Women’s brains tend to accumulate more amyloid, a protein that forms the plaques that play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s. Researchers are still not sure why, but one theory is that carrying two X chromosomes increases the risk of inheriting a gene that bumps up the risk of the disease.

Fight back by… Following the MIND diet, which can lower your Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 53 per cent, according to a 2015 study. In fact, even following the diet’s principles moderately well can help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s by about 35 per cent.

The MIND diet consists of food that promotes good brain health. It includes foods like green, leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, beans, whole grains, olive oil, poultry, and no more than one glass of wine per day.

Read Next

15 Cooking Gadgets For a Smart Kitchen

11 Places In Singapore That Are Almost As Good As Flying To Hong Kong

How The Singapore Women's Weekly Team Destresses And Practices Self-care

This post was first published in The Singapore Women’s Weekly June 2020 print issue.

Canva
  • TAGS:
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • health conditions
  • healthy eating
  • healthy living
  • stroke
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Beauty & Health

Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Cel...

Beauty & Health

8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Re...

Beauty & Health

Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night

Beauty & Health

Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Ko...

Beauty & Health

4 Simple Exercises To Improve Your Stability

Beauty & Health

This Is How Jang Na-Ra Looks 20 At 41

Beauty & Health

6 Things To Know About Chanel's Newest P...

Beauty & Health

If You've Had Covid-19, You Have More Ri...

Beauty & Health

Here's What Joanne Peh Uses To Look Radi...

Beauty & Health

Understated (But Stunning) New Hairstyle...

Family

9 Must-Know Ways To Protect Your Family ...

Beauty & Health

The Ultimate Guide To Caring For Your Eyes

Don’t Miss These
  • Awards This is the perfect escape from urban life to relax, rech...
  • Awards This Postpartum Recovery Centre Is A Must-Go Haven For Ne...
Editor’s Picks
  • Beauty & Health Zoe Tay, Rebecca Lim And Other Asian Celebs On The Beauty Of Getting Older
  • Diet & Nutrition Savour The Deliciousness Of Chocolate While Being Kind To Your Gut
  • Beauty & Health 8 Most Therapeutic And Fun Hobbies To Reduce Stress
  • Beauty & Health Try These Tips To Sleep Better Every Night
  • Organising A KonMari Consultant's Hack For Saving Time & Money At Home
  • Hair This Elixir And Shampoo Combo Promises To Revitalise Your Hair And Scalp
  • Beauty & Health Ginseng: The Secret Ingredient Behind Korean Women’s Youthful Skin
  • Skincare Jamie Yeo Swears By These 7 Beauty Products To Maintain Her Youthful Appearance
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.