4 Steps to Heart Health
If you think of heart disease as something men have to worry about, you're making a potentially fatal mistake because as threatening as it is to men, it may be even more dangerous for women. In fact, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for American women, twice as deadly as all forms of cancer combined. Every year heart disease claims the lives of 400,000 American women-most of them do not even realize they are at risk.*
The good news is that while some risk factors such as heredity (family history), race and age are not controllable, many are. And by following these four steps you can prevent or reduce the severity of heart disease. *American Cancer Society
Know Your Level of risk... what are the chances you'll get heart disease?
Before you can minimize your level of risk, you need to know what factors are contributing to it. When it comes to the causes of heart disease, some factors have more impact than others. In addition, the impact of various factors is cumulative. While some are difficult to mitigate, each one you reduce lowers your overall risk. The starting point is easy and you can do it this minute - TAKE A FREE ONLINE HEART DISEASE RISK ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY YOUR PERSONAL RISK FACTORS. GO TO heartaware.org, CLICK ON risk evaluation.
Make the medical and lifestyle changes that will lower the chances you'll get heart disease.
When it comes to preventing heart disease, most people are doing some things right... and just about everyone should be doing some things differently. Based on your heart disease risk assessment, you'll know what medical conditions you should start addressing and what changes in your lifestyle will have the greatest heart health benefits-stop smoking or breathing secondhand smoke; maintain a healthy weight following BMI (body mass index) guidelines; increase your physical activity; make heart-healthy food choices including avoiding saturated and trans fats, choose healthy fats and eat foods high in dietary fiber. Talk to your personal healthcare provider to help you get on the right track.
Be able to recognize the symptoms of heart disease.
If you do develop heart disease, the earlier you recognize the symptoms and seek medical intervention, the better your chances of treating, curing and surviving it. In fact, since a previous heart attack is a strong risk factor for having another, minimizing the damage from heart disease through early intervention could help you break the cycle and save your life. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are more likely to experience some of the other symptoms such as pain or discomfort in the center of the chest; pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach; other symptoms include shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea or light-headedness. DON'T DELAY-MINUTES COUNT! IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE WARNING SIGNS FOR 5 MINUTES, CALL 911-DON'T DRIVE YOURSELF TO THE HOSPITAL.
*National Breast Cancer Foundation
Help Your Sisters, Daughters, Mothers & Friends Survive Too
Heart disease is a women's health issue and beating it will take women working together... reaching out to the women you care about. In fact, making some of the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent this No. 1 killer require encouragement and support from caring friends. Send note cards and heart health counts pocket cards found in the be a Friend 4 life kit to women you care about with your personal note of caring connection.
By requesting your Be a Friend 4 Life kit and becoming an ambassador for HEART HEALTH awareness, you are taking your place among women who make a difference -
Together We Will Survive.