Carrie Fisher and George Michael, two beloved stars have recently passed away after having heart complications. Fisher’s sudden death yesterday has raised concern about heart diseases in women.

Fisher had a stroke on a plane just 15 minutes before landing at LAX. She could make it to the hospital, and even her mother announced her daughter was stable. However, yesterday it was announced that the Star Wars’ actress had died at the age of 60.

Fisher’s sudden death yesterday has raised concern about heart diseases in women. Photo credit: Don't Hate The Geek
Fisher’s sudden death yesterday has raised concern about heart diseases in women. Photo credit: Don’t Hate The Geek

As Fisher, there are millions of women whose lives are affected by heart disease. The worst part is that a significant amount of them are not aware of their condition. Heart diseases cause more deaths among women than all cancers combined.

Carrie Fisher’s Heart attack shocked fans all over the world

Actress Carrie Fisher was born in 1956. She was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies, though she also was a writer, producer, and humorist. The world was shocked to know that just two days after George Michael died – which was caused by a heart failure- Carrie Fisher would pass away too for a similar cause. Especially because everyone thought she was going to get better.

On December 23, when she had a heart attack on a plane. She was soon assisted by an emergency worker who performed CPR on the actress, before landing. Once the aircraft got to LAX, paramedics continued to administer CPR for about 15 minutes before they were able to get Fisher’s pulse.

She was taken to the hospital in Los Angeles, where she remained hospitalized until her death was announced on Tuesday.

Heart disease is one of the biggest threats to women’s health

Fisher’s death has indeed raised concern about the heart illness among women. More than one in three women live with heart disease. But the truth is that many of them are not aware of that. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of women who have a cardiovascular condition, succumb to heart disease without showing any symptom of illness before their death.

According to Jennifer Mieres, who is a radiology professor at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine in New York, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. A woman dies from a stroke, sudden cardiac arrest or a heart attack every minute.

She also said that people can’t tell the different from one another. A sudden cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack since it involves a stoppage in the heart’s electric systems which disables the proper pumping of blood. On the other hand, a heart attack is caused by a blockage in the heart that makes impossible the normal flow of blood.

Women are more likely to suffer a heart attack ten years after entering into menopause, though there is not enough scientific background to support or explain that. Women should try to control risk factors such as having a healthy diet, maintaining a proper weight, exercising with regularity, avoiding smoking, and avoiding drinking alcohol.

Source: Tech Times