VOA标准英语2011--Women at Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Women at Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer¹ in the world, and it is mostly preventable. But reducing deaths from heart disease will require changes in lifestyle and public policy, and better public awareness² programs. Women are at greater risk from heart disease than men. That's partly because it's harder to diagnose in women.

When a man has a heart attack, it is often because of a blocked artery³. An x-ray of blood vessels⁴, called an angiogram, can usually spot a blockage⁵ caused by a buildup of plaque⁶. It involves threading a thin tube into a patient's arteries⁷.

But angiograms don't always spot problems in women's arteries. That puts women at greater risk for a heart attack. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that heart disease claims the lives of 18 million women a year. And it's a disease that doesn't just impact older women. Carrie Vincent had a massive heart attack after giving birth to her first child.

"My God, I was 31 years old... 31 year olds don't have heart attacks," said Vincent.

Vincent is now taking her message to women in their homes. Irene Pollin went into action when she learned this fact.

"Heart disease is the number one killer of women," noted⁸ Pollin.

Pollin founded an organization called Sister to Sister to educate women about heart disease. She encourages women to learn about their blood pressure, cholesterol⁹ levels and other risk factors.

"The goal is really prevention, having people understand their risk, that they should try to get screened, know their numbers and then do something about it," Pollin added.

Pollin teamed up with cardiologists at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston where Dr. Joanne Foody focuses on prevention.

"The good news is that we know that 95 percent of heart disease is preventable by reducing risk," said Foody.

That means also becoming or remaining a non-smoker, controlling or avoiding diabetes¹⁰, maintaining a healthy weight, eating the right foods, exercising 30 minutes most days and managing or reducing stress.

Heart disease increasingly affects women in developing countries. Cardiologist Dr. Dariush Mozafarian places a lot of blame on the global obesity¹¹ epidemic¹².

"People are getting chronic¹³ diseases by not eating too much, but by eating poorly. What they're not eating is mostly what's harming them," said Mozafarian.

Mozafarian recommends increasing our intake¹⁴ of fish, whole grains, vegetables, vegetable oils and nuts and decreasing the amount of salt and transfats in our diets

Both doctors recommend public policies that promote heart health, and, of course, screening and education, the type that Irene Pollin and Carrie Vincent are doing one event at a time.

1 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 blockage   

n.障碍物；封锁

参考例句：

• The logical treatment is to remove this blockage.合理的治疗方法就是清除堵塞物。
• If the blockage worked,they could retreat with dignity.如果封锁发生作用，他们可以体面地撤退。

6 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

7 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

10 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

11 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

12 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

13 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

14 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。