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Would You Want to Protect Your Family?

Would You Want to Protect Your Family?. The Heart Truth. Here is The Heart Truth ® : one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer. 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more risk factor for heart disease.

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Would You Want to Protect Your Family?

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  1. Would You Want to Protect Your Family?

  2. The Heart Truth • Here is The Heart Truth®: one in four women in the United States dies of heart disease, while one in 30 dies of breast cancer. • 80 percent of women ages 40 to 60 have one or more risk factor for heart disease. • Having just one risk factor doubles your chance of developing heart disease.

  3. The #1 Killer of Women • Heart Disease remains the #1 killer of women in the United States. • It often starts later in women, after menopause. • Women are more likely to die following a heart attack than men.

  4. What Kinds of Heart Disease? • The most common type of heart disease in women is a disorder of the blood vessels that “feed” the heart muscle, called coronary heart disease(CHD). • CHD can lead to serious heart problems, such as heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias (ah-RITH-me-ahs), and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

  5. Coronary Heart Disease • CHD is a condition in which plaque (plak) builds up on the inner walls of your coronary arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood.

  6. Plaque Can Affect the Heart 2 Ways • Plaque can build up in the coronary arteries over time. This reduces blood flow to the heart muscle and can lead to symptoms such as angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh). Angina is chest pain or discomfort. • Plaque can suddenly rupture or crack, causing a blood clot to form. The blood clot blocks blood flow. If the clot becomes large enough, it can completely block blood flow to part of the heart muscle, the most common cause of a heart attack.

  7. Heart With Muscle Damage and a Blocked Artery

  8. Whatever a woman’s age… …She needs to take action to protect her heart health Yet among U.S. women ages 18 and older, • 17.3 percent are current smokers, • 51.6 are overweight (BMI of 25 or greater) • 27 percent have hypertension • 35 percent have high cholesterol • 53 percent do not meet physical activity recommendations • African American and Hispanic women, in particular, have higher rates of some risk factors for heart disease and are disproportionately affected by the disease compared to white women. More than 80 percent of midlife African American women are overweight or obese, 52 percent have hypertension, and 14 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes. Some 83 percent of midlife Hispanic women are overweight or obese, and more than 10 percent have been diagnosed with diabetes.

  9. Risk Factors for Heart Disease? Important risk factors for heart disease that you can do something about are: • High blood pressure • High blood cholesterol • Diabetes • Smoking • Being overweight • Being physically inactive • Having a family history of early heart disease • Age (55 or older for women) (Last two, we’re stuck with!)

  10. But I Only Have One Risk Factor… • You can make changes gradually, one at a time. Women may wonder: If I have just one risk factor for heart disease- am I more or less "safe"? • Absolutely not. Each risk factor greatly increases a woman's chance of developing heart disease. • But multiple risk factors tend to "gang up" and worsen each other's effects. So, the message is clear: Every woman needs to take her heart disease risk seriously-and take action now to reduce that risk.

  11. Risk Factors and Lifestyle Changes • The good news is that you can take steps to control many risk factors. • Lifestyle changes, medicines, and/or medical or surgical procedures can help women reduce their risk of CHD. • That's why early and ongoing risk prevention is so important.

  12. You Do Have Choices… • Certain risk factors cannot be changed, but you do have control over many others. • Regardless of your age, background, or health status, you can lower your risk of heart disease-and it doesn't have to be complicated. • Protecting your heart can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, whipping up a good vegetable soup, or getting the support you need to maintain a healthy weight.

  13. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR Know Your Numbers… • What is my blood pressure? What does it mean for me, and what do I need to do about it? • What are my cholesterol numbers? (These include total cholesterol, LDL or "bad" cholesterol, HDL or "good" cholesterol, and triglycerides.) What do they mean for me, and what do I need to do about them? • What is my "body mass index" and waist measurement? Do they indicate that I need to lose weight for my health? • What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean I'm at risk for diabetes? What else do I need to know? • What other screening tests for heart disease do I need? How often should I return for checkups for my heart health? • What can you do to help me quit smoking? • How much physical activity do I need to help protect my heart? • What is a heart-healthy eating plan for me? Should I see a registered dietitian or qualified nutritionist to learn more about healthy eating? • How can I tell if I'm having a heart attack? • What is my risk for heart disease?

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