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5 Women's Health Concerns

By Dulce Zamora
Women's Health

From heart disease to breast cancer to depression, WebMD gives you the inside info on why women are at high risk for these problems but may not know it.

Imagine living without illness to slow you down. While there are no lifetime guarantees, enough scientific research has been done to make long, healthy living a possibility.

To help women boost health, WebMD examined five medical conditions that are of great concern to them: heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and autoimmune diseases.

We looked at the risk factors for each disease and asked the experts what women could do to prevent such ailments. In order to make full use of this information, Saralyn Mark, MD, encourages women to take charge of their health. She says women need to work in partnership with their doctors by finding out their family medical history, educating themselves on health issues, and paying attention to their bodies.

"You know what makes you feel good, you know when you don't feel well. Understanding your body is key," says Mark, senior medical adviser for the Office on Women's Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

SOURCES: Diane Helentjaris, MD, immediate past president, American Medical Women's Association; health director, Lord Fairfax Health District in the Virginia Department of Health. Saralyn Mark, MD, endocrinologist and geriatrician; senior medical adviser, Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Cindy Pearson, executive director, National Women's Health Network. Gregory Burke, MD, professor and chairman, department of public health sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Stephen F. Sener, MD, president, American Cancer Society. Dorree Lynn, PhD, psychologist; and author, Getting Sane Without Going Crazy. American Heart Association. CDC. American Cancer Society. National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases. 2004 Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis. National Institute of Mental Health. WebMD Medical Reference with Healthwise: "Depression." WebMD Medical News: "Autoimmune Diseases Among Top Killers of Younger Women." WebMD Feature: "Life With an Autoimmune Disease." American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association MedlinePlus. Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.