|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
New Healthy Heart Handbook for Women
Available Online With New Information
20th Anniversary edition includes new statistics,
quizzes and charts
 May
7, 2007 – Most women today still do not know that heart disease is the
No. 1 killer of women. Even fewer may be aware that once a woman reaches
menopause, her risks of heart disease and heart attack jump
dramatically. One in eight women between the ages of 45 and 64 has some
form of heart disease, and this increases to one in four women over 65.
To help more women learn more about preventing heart disease and
controlling the risks, there is a comprehensive book online from the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
This 20th edition of “The Healthy Heart Handbook
for Women” contains new information on women and heart disease and
offers practical suggestions for reducing the risk of heart-related
problems. The handbook also describes the warning signs of heart attack
and how to get help quickly.
It is described as an invaluable and easy-to-use
resource every woman should read from cover to cover. It is a
full-color, 122-page booklet from The Heart Truth campaign, that can be
read online, downloaded as a pdf book or purchased in print from NHLBI.
“It is important for women to keep track of the
latest research on heart health,” says Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.,
director of NHLBI. “The 20th anniversary edition of ‘The Healthy Heart
Handbook for Women’ has packaged the most up-to-date information on
heart health in one easy-to-use guide.”
Since nearly one in four American women dies from
heart disease, it is critical to know that high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, diabetes, smoking or being overweight are all major risk
factors. The agency says the handbook is filled with good advice on
reducing those risk factors, including new tips on following a
nutritious eating plan, tailoring a physical activity program to
particular goals, and getting the whole family involved in heart healthy
living.
| |
Some surprising
facts:
■ One in 4
women in the United States dies of heart disease, while 1 in 30
dies of breast cancer.
■
Twenty-three percent of women will die within 1 year after
having a heart attack.
■ Within 6
years of having a heart attack, about 46 percent of women become
disabled with heart failure.
■ Two-thirds
of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.
The fact is, if you’ve got a heart, heart
disease could be your problem. Fortunately, it’s a problem you
can do something about. For women in midlife, taking action is
particularly important. |
|
“Most women think they know if they are at risk of
a heart attack, but in reality some risk factors like high blood
pressure or high blood cholesterol go undetected because they don’t have
obvious signs or symptoms,” said Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, M.D., leader
of NHLBI’s Cardiovascular Medicine Scientific Research Group.
“Simple steps like taking the What’s Your Risk?
quiz and knowing the appropriate questions to ask your doctor can help
you take action to protect your heart health.”
Featured highlights from “The Healthy Heart
Handbook for Women” include:
■ Questions to Ask Your Doctor
■ Heart Attack Risk Quiz
■ ABCs of Diabetes
■ Five Aids for Quitting Smoking
■ Heart Attack Risk Table
■ Stories of real women’s experience with heart disease
The handbook also provides information about
healthy eating to reduce heart disease risk, including a sample eating
plan and a chart on how to properly read a nutrition label.
“We know that being able to quickly scan a
nutrition label is an important skill to help make heart healthy
nutritional choices,” said Catherine Loria, Ph.D., a nutritional
epidemiologist in the Division of Prevention and Population Sciences at
NHLBI. “Critically assessing food based on fat, sodium, and calories
empowers you to take control of your personal health.”
“The Healthy Heart Handbook” is available for $4.00
from the NHLBI Information Center, (301) 592-8573 or (240) 629-3255
(TTY); it is also online –
Click Here.
Editor's Notes:
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and
supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep
disorders. The Institute also administers national health education
campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and
other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available
online at:
www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The
Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers
and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic,
clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the
causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For
more information about NIH and its programs, visit
www.nih.gov.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
