What’s Black and White…And RED all over…?
The American Heart Association invites us to celebrate National Wear Red Day on February 7, 2014 to raise awareness in the fight of heart disease in women
The number of men might still beat women in the boardroom, but women are killing it, literally, in another area. The statistics are black and white. More women than men die of heart disease every year. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women with 1 in 4 dying of heart disease. Worse, two-thirds of women who die suddenly from heart disease exhibited no previous symptoms.
Likely, you have heard all this before. Certainly, with my family history of heart disease, I heard the admonitions, ad nauseam, about taking my heart health seriously. Life gets in the way and honestly, if not for the prompting of my aunt whose own life was saved by the right tests 16 years ago, I would have continued to live with the mentality of “ignorance is bliss.”
Busy executives grab your calendars. You cannot afford to waste another day pretending that heart disease will kill someone else. Look around your office. Will you be the 1 in 4? Take the American Heart Association’s Go Red™ Heart Checkup to determine your risk and then schedule an appointment with your physician.
Women and men share some risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity; however, there are additional risk factors that may play a larger role in the development of heart disease in women. The additional risks for women include stress, metabolic syndrome, mental health issues and depression, smoking and lower levels of estrogen as women near menopause.
The chest-grabbing pain that most people assume will herald a heart attack often does not appear in women, due in part to the more evenly spread plaque in the smaller arteries leading to the heart to which women are more prone. These blockages in smaller arteries produce symptoms attributable to conditions other than heart disease or heart attack.
According to the American Heart Association, watch for these lesser-known symptoms of heart attack in women:
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- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Abnormal Fatigue
- Shortness of Breath
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Neck, Shoulder and Upper Back Pain
- Flu-like symptoms and/or vomiting
- Jaw Pain (especially when exercising)
Reducing risk factors by maintaining proper weight, getting consistent exercise with varied intensity, keeping blood pressure in line and knowing your numbers (triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol) keeps your heart healthy. Grab a salad with some lean chicken for lunch and take the stairs to your office instead of the elevator.
Women’s intuition is a powerful thing. If you think there is something wrong, don’t let anyone put off testing that might save your life. Despite educational campaigns like the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women™, in the ER, women presenting with abdominal pain still receive incorrect tests or are misdiagnosed and sent home with antacids. You manage everyone else’s lives everyday from your employees to your children to your spouse or partner. Do not neglect your own life and health.
If you or your office wishes to support the fight against heart disease, heart attack and stroke in women, wear red in support tomorrow, February 7, 2014 and visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/get-involved/ to find other ways you can get involved.
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