May 16, 2013 — vol. 48, no 41
Go Red campaign promotes simple steps to boosting heart health
February is American Heart Month, and taking care of your heart is more
important than you might know. Too few people realize that heart
disease is the number one killer for both American men and women.
Annually, about 460,000 women die of heart disease and another
two-thirds of women are unaware of their risks. African American,
Latino and Hispanic populations are at even greater risk for heart
disease and stroke than Caucasians.
But the good news is that heart disease is often preventable by
learning the steps to prevent it. The more thoughtfully you protect
your heart, starting as early as your 20s, the less likely you’ll face
the life-threatening challenges posed by cardiovascular disease.
Go Red For Women (www.goredforwomen.com)
is a nationwide movement launched in 2004 by the American Heart
Association (AHA) that empowers women with the knowledge and tools to
help them take positive action to reduce their risks of heart disease
and stroke and protect their health.
Know your numbers
The first step to good heart health is to know and understand the numbers that matter most.
Knowing your health numbers is an important part of keeping your heart
in good shape. These numbers can help you and your doctor determine
your risks and mark the progress you’re making toward a healthier
heart. From jogging with your friends and swapping healthy recipes to
keeping up with loved ones and learning your family history, your heart
health depends on a lifelong commitment.
Fill out the handy chart below for a quick overview of numbers you need
to know and the goals you need to achieve to reduce your risk for heart
disease. If you are unable to fill in all of the blanks, you should
consider scheduling a visit with your doctor — your heart health
depends on it.
Once you have your numbers, you can take the Go Red Heart CheckUp, a
free online assessment tool created by the American Heart Association
to help women take charge of their heart-health. Just enter your
numbers into the Go Red Heart CheckUp questionnaire at
www.goredforwomen.com/hcu and within seconds, you’ll get an
easy-to-read report that evaluates your risk of having a heart attack
or other cardiovascular event within the next 10 years. The Go Red
Heart CheckUp identifies risk factors that can be changed and provides
personalized action plans that you can print and use to discuss your
heart health with your doctor.
The Go Red Heart CheckUp does not provide medical advice or treatment —
only your doctor can do that — but it does tell you the numbers that
matter to your heart most, and is a great tool to help you take the
steps necessary to become an advocate for your own heart health.
Know your risk factors
It is also critically important to know your risk factors. There are
two categories of risk factors: those you can’t change and those you
can.
Risk factors you can’t change include increasing age, gender (men are
at greater risk than women), and heredity, including race (African
American, Hispanic and Latino populations are at greater risk than
Caucasians). Risk factors you can change include cigarette smoking,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity and
overweight, and diabetes.
For the risk factors that you can change: it is time to make lifestyle changes today.
Become your own health advocate
As always, the first way for you, as a woman, to “Go Red” is to take good care of yourself every day.
It is also important to take action and get involved locally with
important health issues going on around Massachusetts. You can help
current and future victims of heart attack and stroke — perhaps your
mother, wife, sister, daughter or friend — by writing or calling your
senators and representatives. Your voice does make a difference to
legislators; you’re the cure when you speak up for vital research
funding, or when you advocate for public policies that advance the
fight against heart disease and stroke. You don’t have to be a heart
surgeon to find a cure for heart disease — just someone willing to
reach out to your legislators.
For more information, join today at www.americanheart.org/yourethecure.
