GO RED FOR WOMEN!

Today, Friday the 6^th, which is the day I am writing this, has been designated, “Go Red for Women” day by the American Heart Association. 

On this day everyone was encouraged to wear red to promote awareness about the growing danger of heart attack and stroke in women.

Do you know that...

·        Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) claim the lives of more than half a million females annually, or about one death per minute.

·        1 in 29 women’s deaths are from breast cancer, while 1 in 2 deaths is from CVD!!

·        63 percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms of this disease.

·        Of the total number of U.S. deaths from CVD in 2000, women represented 53.5 percent of all deaths and men represented 46.5 percent.

·        Non-Hispanic Black and Mexican-American women have higher CVD risk factors than white women of comparable socioeconomic status.

·        Coronary heart disease rates in women after menopause are 2-3 times those of women the same age before menopause.

·        The cost of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in the U.S. in 2003 is estimated at $353 billion. By comparison, in 2003, the estimated cost of all cancers was $202 billion.

·        Survey results in 2000 show women’s knowledge of heart disease increased by 6 percent from 34 to 40 percent since 1997.

·        Based on the 200 survey, slightly less than two out of five women (38%) and less than 9one-third of women in 1997 (30%) report that doctors have discussed heart disease with them when discussing their health.

Do you also know that all of this can be prevented very easily?  If you are overweight, smoke and are sedentary (move around during the day less than 3000 steps=sedentary) than you are playing with fire.

LOSE SOME FAT! Your risk of CVD will drop substantially if you drop only 5 pounds of fat. Start slow with 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss a week... which is a safe weight loss beginning.  Women should be eating a healthy diet of between 1200-1500 calories a day, with no less than 1200 calories to stay a healthy weight.

GET MOVING! You don’t have to be an athlete to lower you risk.   Moderate activities such as walking or dancing on most days can help your heart.  The time can be broken up into shorter spans in the beginning until you can work up to 30 minutes or more.

STOP SMOKING!     Your risk of heart disease and stroke is much greater if you smoke and even if you inhale 2^nd hand smoke.  Constant exposure is just as bad, even if you don’t smoke.  Think about your love ones if you smoke and stop not only for yourself but for their health as well.  Your risk of CVD is cut in half after one year of quitting no matter how long you have smoked.  You will continue to benefit as time goes on until your risk equals that of a non-smoker.

SEE YOUR DOCTOR!  Especially if you have risk in your family history, or you have any of the 3 risk factors I have mentions above.

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS. 

     Heart Attack warning signs.

·        Chest discomfort.  Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.  It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing fullness or pain.

·        Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.  Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

·        Shortness of Breath.  This feeling often comes along with chest discomfort.  but it can occur before the chest discomfort.

·        Other signs.  These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. 

Stoke Warning signs.

·        Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body.

·        Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

·        Sudden trouble seeing in one eye or both eyes.

·        Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

·        Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, DON’T DELAY!  Immediately call 9-1-1 (teach your children to dial it) or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you.  Always make note of the time the symptoms first started.  It’s very important to take immediate action, if given within 3 hours of the start of symptoms; a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.