The latest pandemic isn’t what you should be fretting about. Here are the top three health concerns women today face:

• Heart
disease According to the ‘GO Red for Women’ campaign, heart disease is the number one killer of Malaysian women, causing twice as many deaths among women as all cancers combined.

Fix it:
Eat healthily, control cholesterol, reduce salt intake, quit smoking and exercise. Get annual cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose level checks.

• Cancer
A Malaysian woman has a one in 20 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime, reports Radiology Malaysia. Other top cancers afflicting women include cancers of the lung, cervix, colorectal, leukaemia, stomach, liver and ovary.

Fix it:
Avoid smoke and smoking, consume less alcohol, get regular pap smears, practise safe sex, exercise regularly, eat healthily, practise self breast examinations and get screened.

• Mental health
The lifetime occurrence of depression in any country is between eight and 10 per cent, says the Malaysian Psychiatric Association. Depression occurs more in women than in men in a ratio of 1:2.

Fix it:
If you think you may be suffering from depression or other mental health disorders (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.) seek therapy and counselling.