INCREASE HEART HEALTH IN WOMEN

Many women assume heart health is a men's issue. But the truth is that women need to be equally concerned about the health of their heart: Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women over age 25. Heart problems are responsible for more women dying each year than breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, and all other types of cancer combined.

Complicating the matter is that heart attack symptoms in women often look different than the signs found in men. Most people think of chest discomfort when they think of heart attacks. While chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom in either sex, women are more likely than men to experience one or more of these subtle signs of a heart problem:

• shortness of breath
• nausea/vomiting
• neck, shoulder, upper back, or abdominal discomfort
• dizziness/lightheadedness
• unusual fatigue
• sweating

Sadly, two thirds of American women who die of a heart attack never make it to the hospital because they are too late in recognizing what's happening to them. But even those women who do seek medical attention may not get the help they need. Imagine going into an emergency room thinking you are having a heart attack and being dismissed for indigestion or heartburn—only to find out later that the doctor was dead wrong.

The good news is that much can be done to increase heart health in women. The old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is especially true for the heart health of women: Doctors estimate that about half of all heart attacks in women stem from treatable factors (as opposed to non-treatable factors such as heredity and age). Thus, women can significantly lower their risk of a heart attack and increase their heart health by actions such as:

• monitoring their good and bad cholesterol levels and taking medicine or making dietary changes as needed
• regularly having their blood pressure checked and taking action to lower it if necessary (such as by exercising, taking medicine, or learning stress-reduction techniques)
• not smoking
• maintaining a healthy diet
• exercising regularly (preferably for at least 30 minutes nearly every day).
• getting help for any mental problems or depression

You can do a big-hearted deed today by helping women to take charge of their heart health in one or more of the following ways...

• Download and print several copies of the American Heart Association's patient information poster. Ask your primary care physician and gynecologist to promote heart health by posting copies in the reception area or examination rooms.
• If you or a woman in your life has had heart problems, share your story to inspire other women to take precautions.
• Start a heart-healthy eating club among friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Set up a schedule where one member a week tests out a meal that is good for heart health and then passes along the heart-healthy recipe to others via e-mail or hard copy. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers many recipes, including ones for traditional African American and Latino dishes. The American Heart Association also has a Delicious Decisions recipe site for those interested in heart health.
• Help others create an online shopping list of foods certified by the American Heart Association as promoting heart health. Post a red heart containing the web address http://checkmark.heart.org on bulletin boards at work, at the library, and at the supermarket.
• Call the public relations department of your local hospital to see about sponsoring a cholesterol screening at your workplace or place of worship.
• E-mail this heart health article to ten female friends. Also, encourage them to evaluate their risk for heart problems by taking the Live and Learn quiz. People completing this heart health assessment can receive a free cookbook.