Main Causes of Mortality Among Middle-Aged Women in Iran: Stroke, Breast Cancer, and Diabetes

An official from Iran's Ministry of Health announced that the leading causes of death among women aged 30 to 59 in the country are due to "ischemic heart disease, breast cancer, and stroke." Malijeh Kianfar, head of the Middle-Aged Health Department at the Ministry of Health, made this statement during the "National Women's Health Week in Iran" in an interview with the Hamshahri newspaper on Tuesday, October 16. She identified the subsequent causes of mortality among middle-aged women in Iran after the top three diseases as "diabetes, traffic accidents, diseases caused by high blood pressure, and colorectal cancer." Women make up half of Iran's population, and a significant portion of them, born in the 1950s and 1960s, have now entered middle age, raising concerns about the onset of diseases and physical issues among them. A new study indicates that 11% of women experience at least one abortion in their lifetime. Although studies show that the mortality rate among women in certain age groups is lower than that of men, health statistics indicate that they are more vulnerable to diseases compared to men. Additionally, the prevalence of certain diseases is higher among them. According to this health official, factors such as "obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and high blood pressure" can also be named as risk factors for women. Kianfar stated that 31% of Iranian women are obese, and only 28% have a suitable weight. Accordingly, 19% of women aged 35 to 44, 21% of women aged 44 to 54, and 20% of women aged 55 to 64 are obese. Furthermore, 57.7% of Iranian women have low physical activity. In other words, 42% of women aged 35 to 44, 42% of women aged 44 to 54, and 43% of women aged 55 to 64 have no physical activity or are less active. Kianfar also added that 14.7% of Iranian women have diabetes, meaning that 7.5% of women aged 35 to 44, 14.8% of women aged 44 to 54, and 24% of women aged 55 to 64 suffer from diabetes. 33% of Iranian women have a history of high blood pressure, which includes 19.5% of women aged 35 to 44, 31% of women aged 44 to 54, and 51% of women aged 55 to 64. This discussion coincides with National Women's Health Week in Iran, with the slogan "Healthy Woman, Healthy Mother, Healthy Generation." While women's health status significantly impacts families and society, they are typically under considerable mental and physical stress due to responsibilities arising from household and family care, especially concerning children.