LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Take a moment...close your eyes…
Put your hand over your heart…
think about its beat, the power of your life in your hands.
How important your heart is. 
Now make a promise to do something for yourself, for your heart today…
Exercise, learn your numbers, kiss someone, eat smart.
 Take just a moment…love your heart. 

Statistics
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women.  Stroke is No. 3 and a leading cause of serious disability.  Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 500,000 women each year – more than the next seven causes of death combined.  About one in every 2.5 women will die of heart disease and stroke, compared to one in every 30 from breast cancer. 

Although one-in-five women in the United States have cardiovascular disease, more than half of those who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms.

That’s why it is so important to reduce your risk factors, know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly and properly if warning signs occur. 

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Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stroke

  • High blood pressure – can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
    • High blood pressure is more prevalent cause of death in women than men.
    • High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. 
    • High blood pressure is two to three times more common in women taking oral contraceptives, especially those who are older and obese than in women not taking them.
  • Cholesterol
    • The risk of heart attack in both men and women is much higher when they have lower HDL cholesterol levels (below 40mg/dL) and higher total cholesterol levels (above 240 mg/dL) than when they have one of these two risk factors. 
    • The higher your total blood cholesterol, the greater your risk of coronary heart disease. 
  • Smoking – If you smoke, your risk of developing coronary disease is two to four times that of nonsmokers. 
  • Physical Activity
    • Lack of physical activity increases your risk of coronary heart disease.
    • Physical inactivity is more common among women than men, among blacks and Hispanics than whites, among older than younger adults and among the less affluent than the more affluent.
    • A study of over 72,000 female nurses indicates that moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of stroke when compared with physical activity done at an average or casual pace.

 

  • Overweight and Obesity
    • If you have excess body fat – especially at the waist – you’re more likely to develop heart disease and stroke.
    • For Americans age 20 and older:
      • 57.6% of non-Hispanic white females are overweight or obese, compared with 71% of males.
      • 79.6% of non-Hispanic black females are overweight or obese, compared with 67% of males.
      • 73% of Mexican-American females are overweight or obese, compared with 74.6% of males.

38.9 % of Hispanics or Latinos age 18 and older are overweight and 24.7 are obese.

  • Diabetes
    • Having diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, especially if your blood sugar is not controlled. 
    • At least 65% of people with diabetes will die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
    • Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times higher than those for adults without diabetes.  The risk for stroke is two to four times higher as well.

(Source: AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2007 Update)

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