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Breast Cancer
There's good news: Breast cancer mortality rates are declining, while the five-year survival rate is climbing. The decline in breast cancer deaths can be attributed to a number of factors, including better treatment, medicines that help prevent breast cancer in high-risk women, and an increase in early detection of problems through breast exams and mammograms.
Heart Disease
Surveys show fewer than one in 10 women perceive heart disease as their greatest health threat. But it's the nation's number one killer, and women are its prime target. One in 10 women ages 45 to 64 has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four women after age 65.
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association estimates at least 20.1 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means having a blood sugar level that is higher than normal, but not yet persistently high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. By taking steps to control your blood sugar, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
Osteoporosis
As health risks go, this one's a doozy: Half of all women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. Ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and an additional 34 million Americans have low bone mass, which puts them at risk for developing the disease, says the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Personal Safety
About 1.5 million women are raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate partner each year. Nearly two-thirds of women who reported being raped, physically assaulted or stalked were victims of a current or former husband, partner, boyfriend or date.