Angelite Nurses

from Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill. .. 

* Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women age 20 and older, but it is largely preventable. 

* At least 65 percent of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. 

* One in 3 women has some form of cardiovascular disease which kills one woman every minute. 

* More women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. 

* Feb. 6 is National Wear Red Day! Join dozens of women, as well as companies and organizations in the Metropolitan Chicago area and cities across America by wearing red on Feb. 6. Its a simple, powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. 

* Overweight children are more likely to have abnormally thick heart muscle tissue when they become adults, which increases the risk of heart attack and heart failure. 

* Visit GoRedForWomen.org and choose to take the Go Red Heart CheckUp to find out your 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke. 

* If you or someone you know shows signs of heart attack or stroke, call 911 right away. An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team can begin treatment when it arrives. That means treatment can begin sooner than it would if the patient arrived at the hospital by car. Whats more, the EMS team is also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped, which saves hundreds of lives each year. 

* Children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy have more damage to their arteries in young adulthood than offspring of nonsmokers and the association is even stronger if both parents smoke. 

* Choose to speak up, not remain silent. Support legislation that would improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women at HeartForWomen.org. 

* Too many lives have and will be cut short from heart disease and its risk factors; however, early detection, lifestyle changes, and other intervention can improve certain conditions. 

* Choose to beat heart disease this year. Whether its eating healthier, exercising more, reducing our cholesterol, or quitting smoking, and turn your personal choices into lifesaving actions. 

* Plan meals in advance visit americanheart.org for recipes from a number of heart-healthy cookbooks and use the online grocery list builder to quickly identify heart-healthy products to add to your grocery list 

* Schedule a doctors appointment each year and get a complete blood screen. Visit GoRedForWomen.org and download "What to Know BEFORE Your Doctor Visit." Only 1 in 5 women believes that heart disease is her greatest health threat. 

* This year about 1.2 million Americans will have a first or repeat coronary attack. About 452,000 of them will die. Coronary heart disease is our nations leading cause of death. 

* About 7.9 million Americans age 20 and older have survived a heart attack (myocardial infarction). About 8.9 million have angina pectoris (chest pain or discomfort due to reduced blood supply to the heart). 

* An estimated 25.1 million men and 20.9 million women increase their risk of heart attack and stroke by smoking cigarettes. 

* One of the best ways to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease is to start getting regular, moderate exercise, at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. 

* Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, causing someone to gasp dramatically, clutch her heart and drop to the ground. No one has any doubts about whats happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often the people affected arent sure whats wrong and wait too long before getting help. 

Source: American Heart Association 

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