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VOA慢速英语--研究称年轻女性缺乏心脏病风险的知识

时间:2019-03-30 23:55:14

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(单词翻译)

Study: Young Women Lack Knowledge About Risks of Heart Disease1

Researchers warn that many young women know little about the risks they face of cardiovascular or heart disease. But a new study suggests women may be able to reduce those risks by doing light physical activity as they age.

Heart disease remains2 the top cause of death for women in the United States. Yet only one in 10 young women reported knowing that fact. And fewer than one in 20 believed heart disease was the leading health problem for women.

These are the findings3 of a study that questioned 331 women between the ages of 15 and 24 about heart disease. The study asked women what they knew about heart attacks and heart failure, and how to prevent them. The researchers then compared the results to a 2012 opinion study of 1,227 women above age 25.

The Journal4 of the American Heart Association5 published the recent findings earlier this month.

Holly6 Gooding and Courtney Brown, both of Harvard University Medical School, are the authors of the study. They told the Reuters news service that more than half of all adult women are aware that heart disease is the biggest health threat they face. So, the authors said, they were surprised that younger women were not aware of it – even women with access to health care.

What can young women do?

In the short term, young women have a low risk for diseases7 of the heart and blood vessels8. However, the lifetime risk is high, the authors added. And there is clear evidence that issues traditionally linked to heart disease risk, such as high blood pressure, begin in childhood and early adulthood9.

The authors argue that young adults usually focus on the present and do not think long-term, which might partly explain the results. Claire Duvernoy started the women’s heart program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor10. She was not involved in the study, but she agrees with the authors.

“That’s just the way that adolescents tend to be and that’s a barrier to an education like this, where the risk is more of a long-term thing,” said Duvernoy.

She advises young women to focus on the benefits they will get now, while they are young, from a healthy lifestyle.

The authors believe the most effective way to improve cardiovascular health is by dealing11 with conditions that increase risks before signs of heart disease develop. But supporting awareness12 of heart health among young people can be difficult, as they do not usually discuss cardiovascular disease with their doctors.

What is needed, the authors say, is a solution that works13 in several ways. This includes improving health education in schools, training doctors that treat children and supporting heart health on the internet.

Is it too late for older women?

But even if they have not completely prepared for the risk of heart disease, older women need not worry that they have completely missed their chance. A new study suggests that increasing the number of hours they spend doing things like walking and gardening may reduce that risk.

Out of nearly 6,000 older women, those doing the most daily low intensity14 activity were much less likely to experience a heart attack or die from heart disease than those who did the least. And every extra hour of light activity per day seemed to cut women’s risk even further.

These are the findings of the study which the JAMA Network Open published, also in March.

Andrea LaCroix, director of the Women’s Health Center of Excellence15 at the University of California, San Diego, is the study’s lead author. She noted16 that current physical activity guidelines17 suggest 150 minutes a week of somewhat18 intense19 physical activity. But even that is very difficult for older women like those in the study, whose average age was 79.

“The bottom line in this study is that everything we do, even lower intensity physical activities, looks beneficial to the heart.”

The current guidelines, LaCroix said, “were developed by people who were not studying older women. Yet older women disproportionately experience heart disease.”

For the new study, LaCroix and her team worked with 5,861 women, ages 63 to 99. Researchers asked them to wear a device20 called an accelerometer for one week. The device recorded when the women sat or leaned back, and when they got up and moved around. It was also able to report on the intensity of the women’s activities.

On average, women in the most active group spent more than 5.6 hours per day in light activity. The least active group spent less than 3.9 hours a day doing something other than sitting or lying down.

Over the next four years, there were 143 new heart attacks and deaths from heart disease and 570 new cases of cardiovascular disease among the women in the study.

The researchers took into consideration qualities such as the women’s age, race, blood pressure and whether or not they smoked cigarettes. They found that women spending the most hours in light activity were 42 percent less likely to have heart attacks or die from heart disease compared to the least active women. The most active women were also 22 percent less likely to develop new cardiovascular disease.

The study did not include a control group. Therefore it cannot prove that light activity directly reduces women’s cardiovascular risk. But Elsa Giardina still called the study “very important.” She is the director of the Center for Women’s Health at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Giardina said the study shows that women can lower their risk of heart disease simply by spending less time sitting. She notes that the study also includes a population that is underrepresented in a lot of studies, even though older women are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States.

I’m -Susan Shand.

And I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

author(s) – n. a person who has written something

aware – adj. knowing that something, such as a situation, condition, or problem, exists

blood vessel(s) – n. a small tube that carries blood to different parts of a person or animal's body

focus – v. to direct your attention or effort at something specific

adolescent(s) – n. a young person who is developing into an adult

tend – v. used to describe what often happens or what someone often does or is likely to do

benefit(s) – n. a good or helpful result or effect

disproportionately – adv. done in a way that has or shows a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected


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1 disease etMxx     
n.疾病,弊端
参考例句:
  • The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
  • He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。
2 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
3 findings 4tYzV9     
n.发现物( finding的名词复数 );调查(或研究)的结果;(陪审团的)裁决
参考例句:
  • It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
  • Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
4 journal g3Ex2     
n.日志,日记;议事录;日记帐;杂志,定期刊物
参考例句:
  • He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
  • He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。
5 association 6O1yp     
n.联盟,协会,社团;交往,联合;联想
参考例句:
  • Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
  • I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。
6 holly hrdzTt     
n.[植]冬青属灌木
参考例句:
  • I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
  • People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。
7 diseases 5c749da591474dd5c2c7f1d77b874f5d     
n.疾病( disease的名词复数 );弊端;恶疾;痼疾
参考例句:
  • Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
  • The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。
8 vessels fc9307c2593b522954eadb3ee6c57480     
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》
9 adulthood vKsyr     
n.成年,成人期
参考例句:
  • Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
  • Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。
10 arbor fyIzz0     
n.凉亭;树木
参考例句:
  • They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里,边喝茶边聊天。
  • You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。
11 dealing NvjzWP     
n.经商方法,待人态度
参考例句:
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
12 awareness 4yWzdW     
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。
13 works ieuzIh     
n.作品,著作;工厂,活动部件,机件
参考例句:
  • We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
  • The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。
14 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。
15 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
参考例句:
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
16 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
17 guidelines 0rtzk5     
n.指导方针,准则
参考例句:
  • The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
  • Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。
18 somewhat Pwtw1     
pron.一些,某物;adv.多少,几分
参考例句:
  • The cake we made was somewhat of a failure.我们做的蛋糕不大成功。
  • The two office buildings are somewhat alike in appearance.这两座办公楼在外形上有点相似。
19 intense G5axf     
adj.认真的,专注的;强烈的;紧张的;热情的
参考例句:
  • Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
  • The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。
20 device Bv8x6     
n.器械,装置;计划,策略,诡计
参考例句:
  • The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
  • The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

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