Women & Heart Disease
Healthy Hearts in the City (pdf)
Thursday, February 20, 6 p.m.
Grab a girlfriend and pamper yourself with heart health talk,
screenings, makeovers and more.
One in four women in the United States dies of heart disease,
while one in 30 dies of breast cancer.
- Twenty-three percent of women will die within 1 year after having a heart attack.
- Within six years of having a heart attack, about 46 percent of women become disabled with heart failure.
- Two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.
When you hear the term “heart disease,” what is your first reaction? Like many women, you may think, “That’s a man’s disease” or “Not my problem.” But here is The Heart Truth:
Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States. Most women don't know this.
But it is vital that you know it—and know what it means for you.
National Wear Red Day is on the first Friday of February each year. The Red Dress serves as a red alert to convey the message that "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear—It's the #1 Killer of Women®" all year long. The symbol links a woman’s focus on her “outer self” to the need to also focus on her “inner self,” especially her heart health.
For all women, to learn every day of the year about women and heart health, download a special 122-page, full-color, 20th anniversary edition of the Healthy Heart Handbook for Women. This free publications provides the most recent information on women's heart disease and practical suggestions for reducing your own risk.
The fact is, if you've got a heart, heart disease could be your problem. Fortunately, it’s a problem you can do something about. This handbook helps you find out your own risk of heart disease and take steps to prevent and control it. For women in midlife, taking action is particularly important. Once a woman reaches menopause, her risks of heart disease and heart attack jump dramatically. One in eight women between the ages of 45 and 64 has some form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four for women over 65.
Learn more about taking good care of your heart:
Know Your Numbers
During a heart check up, your doctor takes a careful look at your "numbers," including your cholesteroll and triglyceride levels, your blood pressure
and more. Knowing your numbers is important for heart.
To get a quick overview of numbers you need to know start here. When you know a few key facts about your numbers, you'll be on your way to mapping out a heart-healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones.
The good news:
Heart disease is a problem you can do something about.
This fact sheet gives you the key steps, including how to survive a heart attack and prevent serious damage to heart muscle. Caring for your heart is worth the effort. Use the information to start today to take charge of your heart health. Then, it will show you how you can take steps to improve your heart health and reduce your chances of developing heart disease.
What’s good for your heart is great for your taste buds!
The recipes in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI’s) cookbooks include Deliciously Healthy Dinners, Keep the Beat™ Recipes show you don't have to lose flavor to eat nutritious foods. Not only are these recipes delicious and easy to prepare, but also they are heart healthy—with moderate amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories.
The recipes will even tempt children. That’s important, because good eating habits need to start early. So, cook up some “Oven-Crusted Chicken Breast” and “Cinnamon-Glazed Baby Carrots” and teach your kids or grandkids how delicious good health can taste.
Do you have heart disease?
If you have heart disease, or think you do, it’s vital to take action to protect your heart health. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do. This fact sheet gives you the key steps, including how to survive a heart attack and prevent serious damage to heart muscle. Caring for your heart is worth the effort. Use the information here to start today to take charge of your heart health.
It is important to realize that heart disease is a lifelong condition—once you get it, you'll always have it. What’s more, the condition of your blood vessels will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits. That’s why it is so vital to take action now to prevent this disease.
