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8
VITALITY
Spring 2016
WOMEN
Safeguard
your heart
You probably know
by now that heart
disease is not only a man’s problem. Just
look at the facts:
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»
Each year, 1 in 4 deaths among U.S.
women is from heart disease.
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»
Heart disease, stroke and other
cardiovascular diseases kill more
American women each year than
the next three leading causes of
death combined.
»
»
Women are less likely than men to
survive a heart attack.
Several factors can increase your risk of
heart disease. Among them are smoking,
having high blood pressure or abnormal
cholesterol levels, being overweight, or
having diabetes.
If early heart disease runs in your family
or you’re older than 55, your risk increases
too. The age-related rise in risk is later for
women than it is for men. That’s partly
because estrogen gives premenopausal
women some heart disease protection.
To understand your risk—and how to
lower it—have a heart-to-heart with your
doctor. You can also discuss other factors
that may affect your heart, such as using
birth control pills if you’re older than
35 and a smoker.
KNOWTHE SIGNS
Indications of heart disease and heart attack
can be different for men and women. A
common symptom of heart disease in
everyone is chest discomfort (angina). In
women, however, angina is often a sharp,
Don’t ignore any
of these signs of a
possible heart attack.
Call 911 right away.
COMMUNITY
TAGLINE HERE
HEART
burning pain that may be felt in other
areas, such as the back, neck or jaw.
Pain in any of these areas can also be a
heart attack—a medical emergency. Women
may have other heart attack warnings as well,
such as shortness of breath or nausea.
Don’t ignore any of these signs of a
possible heart attack. Call 911 right away
if you have any of these symptoms. Even if
symptoms disappear after a few minutes,
get medical help.
Citizens Memorial Hospital
is a Level 2 STEMI center
with 24/7 cardiac care. Learn more at
www.citizensmemorial.com.
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The yearly cost of coronary heart disease in
the U.S. This includes the cost of health care,
medications and lost productivity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
735,000
The approximate number of Americans
who have a heart attack every year.That
means one happens every 43 seconds.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
$108.9 billion