Promote Heart Health and Prevent Heart Disease

Did You Know...Facts about Heart Disease 

• Cardiovascular (Heart) disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States.
• Stroke is also caused by a cardiovascular disease that affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain.
• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States.
• Lifestyle choices, such as making poor food choices, inactivity and tobacco use are major contributors to cardiovascular disease.
• Seventy percent of Americans don't get enough exercise, blaming lack of time and lack of motivation.
• Physical inactivity significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Eating a healthy diet and making good lifestyle choices are the best weapons you have to fight cardiovascular disease.
• Some experts believe that physical activity should be the primary focus of efforts to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Prevent Heart Disease - Promote Heart Health 

1. What is Heart Disease?
2. Atherosclerosis - The Effects of Heart Disease
3. Go Red - American Heart Disease Public Awareness Campaign
4. Women and Heart Disease
5. The Heart Truth - Women and Heart Disease
6. Ways to Promote Heart Health
7. Balance Calories In with Your Activity and Exercise
8. Choose to Move
9. Take the Start! Challenge
10. Heart Benefits of Walking
11. AHA Diet Recommendations - Eat More of These
12. AHA Diet Recommendations - Eat Less of These
13. Lifestyle Changes to Manage Coronary Artery Disease
14. Learn to Recognize Signs of a Heart Attack
15. Learn to Recognize Signs of a Stroke
16. If in Doubt - Dial 9-1-1
17. More Resources on Heart Disease
18. More Resources on Stroke

Heart Benefits of Walking 

There are many benefits to your heart and your health from walking. Walking can help in relieving stress and boosting your spirits to helping manage some diseases.

Here are just some of the known heart benefits of walking:

Source:
Mayo Clinic Staff. December 2006. Walking for fitness: How to trim your waistline, improve your health. Fitness. Tools for Healthier Life.

1. Reduce your risk of a heart attack.
   Walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering the "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, LDL) cholesterol and raising the "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, HDL) which reduces the risk of a heart attack.
2. Reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.
   A regular walking program also reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease.
3. Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
   Regular exercise reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you're a woman, overweight and at a high risk of diabetes, walking can improve your body's ability to process sugar (glucose tolerance).
4. Reduce your weight.
   Walking is an excellent way of burning calories which will help in losing weight.
5. Manage your blood pressure.
   If you already have high blood pressure, walking may reduce it.
6. Manage stress and boost your spirits.
   Going for a brisk walk is a great way to reduce stress.
7. Manage your weight.
   Walking burns calories, which can help in managing weight. Middle-aged women who walk more than 10,000 steps a day have lower levels of body fat than do women who are less active.
8. Manage your diabetes.
   If you already have type 2 diabetes, taking part in a regular walking program can improve your body's ability to process sugar, lower your blood sugar, reduce your risk of heart disease and help you live longer.

AHA Diet Recommendations - Eat More of These 

To get the nutrients you need, choose foods like vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often.

Source: American Heart Association. 2006. Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations.
Image Source: Photo Source: Meliha Gojak. Assorted Fruit. Royalty Free Use.

1. Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables. Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber - and they're low in calories. Eating a different fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure.
2. Eat Whole Grains.
   Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight.
3. Eat fish at least twice a week.
   Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout, and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.

AHA Diet Recommends - Eat These Less Often 

1. Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
2. Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products.
3. Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
4. Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day.
5. Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
6. Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
7. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means one drink per day if you're a woman and two drinks per day if you're a man.

Ways to Manage Coronary Artery Disease 

From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

1. Follow a heart healthy eating plan to prevent or reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol and to maintain a healthy weight
2. Increase your physical activity. Check with your doctor first to find out how much and what kinds of activity are safe for you.
3. Lose weight, if you're overweight or obese.
4. Quit smoking, if you smoke. Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
5. Learn to cope with and reduce stress.

Learn to Recognize Heart Attack Warning Signs 

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense - the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help.

Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort.
  Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
  Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Breaking out in a cold sweat
• Nausea
• Lightheadedness

Learn to Recognize the Stroke Warning Signs 

Stroke is also caused by a cardiovascular disease. It affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain.

Source: American Heart Association. Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs
Image Source: Rodrigo Galindo. Brain. Royalty Free Use.

The American Stroke Association says the following list are the warning signs of stroke.

If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay! Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you.

1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
3. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
4. Sudden, severe headache with no known cause