HEART HEALTH
Cardiovascular Disease
A major component of cardiovascular disease is the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Plaque is comprised of fat, cholesterol, and other substances and starts forming in CHILDHOOD. As the plaque grows in the arteries it can reduce or totally obstruct blood flow in the artery. When blood flow is obstructed in the arteries that feed the heart muscle, that area of the heart doesn't receive oxygen which cells require to live. The tissue dies without oxygen. This is a heart attack. When this happens in the brain, it is a stroke.
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Discomfort that does not stop when a person is at rest or lasts more than 3-4 minutes, requires a 911 call.
1. 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.
2. Other discomfort - Discomfort may occur in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath - may occur with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs - These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
5. Women - Women are more likely than men to have discomfort in the upper epigastric region (stomach just under the ribs). Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience nausea/vomiting, shortness of breath, and back or jaw pain.
Warning Signs of a Stroke
Think S T R (first 3 letters of the word "stroke")
1. S - Smile - Sudden weakness of the face - Smile is uneven.
2. T - Sudden trouble Talking or understanding, confusion.
3. R - Sudden weakness in the arms or legs, especially on one side. Cannot Raise one arm.
Other signs or symptoms may be sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden loss of balance or coordination, or sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Call 911 immediately for any of these symptoms. A clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke if it's given within three hours of the start of symptoms.
RISK FACTORS
Heart disease and stroke are largely preventable if you work to lower your risks. Some risk factors such as age, family history and race, you cannot control. that make it incredibly important to pay attention to the risk factor you CAN control.
1. STOP SMOKING - Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the US. The good news is that when you sop smoking, your risk of heart disease and stroke can be cut in half just one year later and will continue to decline until it's a s low as a nonsmoker's risk. Go to www.smokefree.gov for a quitting guide.
2. GET ACTIVE - Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity improves your cardiovascular fitness and helps reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Exercise can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. It can also help lower blood pressure. If you've been inactive, start walking 10 minutes a day and work up to 30 minutes. Go to www.choosetomove.com
3.LOSE WEIGHT - If you have too much body fat, especially if a lot is at your waist, you're at higher risk for health problems. These health problems include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Try to reach a health weight and stay there. To lose weight, most women should eat 1200 to 1500 calories a day, but not less that 1200. Losing one to two pounds or less per week is considered a healthy weight loss. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a recommended way to estimate a person's body fat. BMI assesses your body weight relative to your height. Your BMI should be no higher than 25.
4. REDUCE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - High blood pressure makes the heart work harder than normal. Women have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if they are 20 pounds or more overweight. Menopause can also cause your blood pressure to increase. More than 73% of women ages 65 to 74 have high blood pressure. It's important for you to know your blood pressure and work with you doctor to keep it at a normal level.
5. LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL - Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in the blood and in all the body's cells. A high cholesterol level is bad because cholesterol can build up with other substances in the inner wall of arteries forming plaque. High cholesterol by itself has no symptoms, so go to your doctor and find out your cholesterol level. Work with your doctor to decrease the level if needed.
Remember: YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR HANDS. Do all you can do to keep if functioning properly. It's the only one you have!
For more information go to www.goredforwormen.org or www.americanheartassocation.org.
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