Prevention: Wear red Friday to support eradication of heart disease, women's No. 1 killer
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February is all about our hearts. For women, maintaining good heart health will greatly decrease our risk of heart attacks and strokes. That’s why you may notice women wearing red this Friday, Feb. 4: National Wear Red Day is a reminder that we can do a lot to maintain and improve our heart health.
Heart disease, not breast cancer, is women’s leading cause of death and disability, but 80% of our heart issues are preventable. None of us can avoid genetic factors such as family history, age and race, but you can boost your odds of having a healthy heart by:
Starting or increasing an exercise program to strengthen your heart muscle
Getting a physical to learn your current numbers for cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar
Taking your prescribed medications
Consistently choosing nutritious food over junk food
Quit using tobacco and drugs
Lose weight
Reduce your stress
If none of these steps sound sustainable, think about it this way: If you hear that it might rain, you grab a jacket and hat to protect your exterior.
Likewise, you can take care of your interior by being proactive: Use a stress-reducing app on your smartphone; find an exercise buddy; plant a garden and eat from it.
Ask yourself, “How do I want to be in five years?” You may be focused on your career right now, but you can establish walking meetings during your work day or a brisk walk during your lunch break. Over the next five years, your heart will become stronger and healthier.
You may be reluctant to go to the gym, but having the energy to keep up with your grandchild is good motivation to do a work out. In other words, use today to help you achieve your vision for tomorrow, and your result will be a stronger and healthier heart.
Every 100 seconds, an American woman has a heart attack. It is sobering that 1 in 5 women die of cardiovascular disease, and women in minority communities are disproportionately affected.
Fewer women survive a first heart attack than men, meaning that we need to increase our survival odds by receiving medical help within the first 30 minutes of experiencing any signs of heart trouble.
While both men and women most frequently feel chest pain or pressure – the stereotypical image is a man clutching his chest – we women may have more subtle symptoms, too.
You may not feel as if an elephant is sitting on your chest, but you may experience nausea or vomiting; dizziness or fainting; a cold sweat; extreme fatigue; pain, pressure or squeezing in the chest; arrhythmia; pain in the jaw, shoulder, arm or back; or shortness of breath. Know your body and take immediate action when something doesn’t seem right.
If you do experience a heart attack or need surgery to install a stent or valve, your physician will refer you to a cardiovascular rehabilitation program, such as Kaiser Permanente’s virtual cardiac rehabilitation or PeaceHealth’s program. These programs will help you live longer, have a better quality of life and lower your number of hospital readmissions.
Find more inspiration and information about protecting your heart health by reading Kaiser Permanente’s articles at kp.org or visiting the American Heart Association’s website at heart.org.
February is American Heart Month. Show yourself some love – or encourage the women in your life – with a check-up, smart eating, more activity and less stress.
National Wear Red Day
The first Friday in February, which is considered American Heart Month, is National Wear Red Day. On Feb. 4, everyone across the country dons the color red — whether it be a lipstick, a pair of pants, or favorite hat — in order to raise and spread awareness in hopes to help eradicate heart disease and stroke in millions of women all over the nation.
Sheila Jhansale, M.D. FACP, is the physician lead at Kaiser Permanente’s Chase Gardens Medical Office in Eugene. More information on healthy living is available at kp.org/lane
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Wear red to support eradication of heart disease, women's No. 1 killer
