I was absolutely thrilled when EmpowHer asked me to write some articles on women’s heart health. The need for this education was drilled home when my dear, sweet, wonderful husband, with his brilliant IQ of 158, asked me why women need to be concerned about their heart health!!!
I was, quite frankly, flabbergasted but it drove home the point that people do not really understand that cardiovascular (heart) disease is not just for men anymore - it’s an equal opportunity killer!!!
Did you realize that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? Hello? Did you hear what I just said? Number one - número uno - aantal - numéro un - Nr. Eine!
One out of two women in the US dies of cardiovascular disease each year! On top of that, forty percent of all deaths in the US are cardiovascular related. There are more deaths from cardiovascular disease than all forms of cancer combined! Holy smokes!!! Ladies, do I have your attention yet? The statistics certainly have my attention. Cardiovascular disease is a very serious threat to our health.
Most of us think of cardiovascular disease in terms of a heart attack but the definition is actually much broader. Cardiovascular disease includes such things as:
•Heart attack
•Stroke
•Chest pain (angina)
•Coronary artery disease (and other diseases of the blood vessels)
•Arrhythmias (problems with heart rhythm)
•Congenital heart defects (heart defects present at birth)
The good news is that most cardiovascular disease is preventable. If it’s preventable, I’m wondering why my doctor has not done something to get my attention as it relates to my heart health. Perhaps he did and I didn’t listen. He did say to lose a little weight but that didn’t get my attention. Telling me my cholesterol was too high didn’t get my attention either. Learning that one in two women will die from cardiovascular disease – well, now that has my attention!
If cardiovascular disease is preventable, then this is one area where we can all truly EMPOWER ourselves and possibly change not only our life expectancy but our future quality of life as well. How do we EMPOWER ourselves? By reading – learning – researching – sharing – and then implementing changes into our lifestyle. Reading this article is your first step to empowerment. I will be investigating and digging into women’s heart issues and reporting back to you each week regarding what I learn. If you have specific questions about heart health, send me a note and I’ll research the answer for future articles.
For one in two of us to die from cardiovascular disease is just not acceptable. I sat in a cubicle for 7 years with a wonderful woman who became one of my dearest friends. These statistics mean that one of us will die from cardiovascular disease. If you have a sister, this means one of you will die from a preventable disease. If you are having lunch with your best girlfriend of 30 years, one of you will die of cardiovascular disease. Which one will it be? Me? You? Are these odds acceptable? Not on your life! Not on my life. Let’s change the odds together.
Sources:
http://www.scandirectory.com/news/pdf/75.pdf
Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/DS01120