Heart disease is still women’s No. 1 killer – it affects more women than men and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. However, most women believe breast cancer is their biggest health threat. But one in 31 American women die of breast cancer, while one in three women die of cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association has been fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke since 1924, but 10 years ago the association recognized the need to educate women on their risk of developing heart disease and how women can prevent it. This led to the birth of “Go Red For Women” and since its inception, more than 627,000 lives have been saved. But the fight is far from over, as it still kills about one woman every minute.
Prevention is the key. If we, as women, made the right choices for our hearts including diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking, 80 percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented. Prevention is where we can save lives.
Using the American Heart Association’s research and resources, “Go Red For Women” educates and connects hundreds of thousands of women and offers tools to help women make lifesaving choices – choices to protect their health and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Every woman should know the risk factors for heart disease and make heart-healthy choices to reduce those risks. Risk factors that you can impact include:
There are additional factors that can cause heart disease, such as family health history, age, and gender. So be sure to discuss your risks with your doctor. Having an open dialogue with your physician, curbing your risk factors and being aware of the signs of a heart attack can help save your or a loved one’s life.
For more information on how to enjoy a healthy and active life, visit GoRedForWomen.org or GoRedForCorazon.org. Or call 888.MY.HEART. This February, Go Red and help save a woman’s life.
Heart disease is often silent; be sure to know warning signs of a heart attack.
The most common warning signs of heart attack are:
Women may have other, less common warning signs such as:
Not all symptoms will occur in every attack. But should you, or someone you know, have some of these signs, call 911 immediately to get help.
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