Released February 6, 2009
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. -- February is American Heart Month. It is a time to think about ways you can reduce the risks of getting heart disease and keep your body strong and healthy.
Heart attack is a leading cause of death for Americans. More than a million Americans suffer heart attacks each year and 400,000 die as a result. In the United States, approximately 1 in 3 people have one or more types of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association estimates that the direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease will reach more than $475 billion this year.
Men and women can take steps to reduce their risks of heart attack. Lifestyle plays a key role in reducing the risks.
Some risk factors for heart attack are beyond a person’s control, including family history of heart disease or a man older than 45 or a woman older than 55. Other risk factors are within control and can be reduced by avoiding tobacco, eating healthy, losing weight and being physically active.
Becoming physically active not only helps prevent heart attack, but it also helps one attain and maintain a healthy weight, prevent and control diabetes, and maintain good cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes also increase heart attack risks. If you have these conditions, work with your doctor to keep them under control. Watch what you eat. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits rather than canned when possible. Check food labels before buying products. Avoid foods with high amounts of sodium, carbohydrates (sugar) and fat.
When having a heart attack, women and men may present chest pain that grips the chest and spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms. However, women tend to have atypical chest pain or pain in the abdomen, difficulty breathing, nausea, back pain and unexplained fatigue. Some women avoid or delay seeking medical care, perhaps out of denial or not being aware of both typical and atypical heart attack symptoms.
Women tend to have heart attacks later in life than men. But, they often have other diseases, such as arthritis or osteoporosis that can mask heart attack symptoms. Increased age and the more advanced stage of coronary heart disease in women can affect treatment options. Increased age may explain women’s greater mortality after heart attacks.
Because some diagnostic tests and procedures may not be as accurate in women, some physicians may avoid using them. The exercise stress test, or stress ECG, may be less accurate in women. For example, in young women with low likelihood of coronary heart disease, an exercise stress test may give a false positive result. In contrast, single-vessel heart disease, which is more common in women than in men, may not show on a routine exercise stress test. One the other hand, more precise noninvasive diagnostic tests tend to cost more. These include thallium, sestamibi or echocardiographic stress tests.
Living a healthy lifestyle may help keep your heart and pocketbook in better shape. When you are in good health, you usually spend less money on prescription medicines and visits to the doctor.
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http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/npa/newsline/archives/003868.php
Contact: Helen Herndon-Jones, (334) 567-6301
