Cusp. What every woman should know

 

From 2007, one of the oldest photos I could find. After my Masters and not in Brighton but in honor of the Go Red Campaigns

In 2003 I started a Masters in Cardiology at the University of Brighton. The very first essay I had to write was entitled 'The anatomy of the aortic valve'. The aortic valve usually has three cusps, half moon shaped in appearance. I have no idea where that essay is anymore so I will stop with the lesson now, but Google can tell all you want to know about the valves in your heart. In 2005 I completed my masters and and I still work in cardiac care. Every day I care for men and women experiencing the effects of heart disease in one way or another. Let's think about the women. 

From the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign

General statistics

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
• Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
• An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
• Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.
• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
• Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat.
• Women comprise only 24 percent of participants in all heart-related studies.

For us here in the southern hemisphere the New Zealand heart foundation also have a Go Red campaign they estimate about 7 women a day die from heart disease in New Zealand.

So back to the cusps. This page (also thanks to the American Heart Association) is a great for start for learning about your valves but for starters have this picture while I go look for that essay. Writing with the June Prompts