By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
The annual Go Red for Women campaign is celebrating its 10th
Anniversary today! The “Go Red” outreach is one of my favorites – and a national
call to action for women everywhere to take charge of our heart health.
It seems hard to believe that nearly 80 million Americans
have some type of cardiovascular disease. And each year, about 10% of these
people die from heart-related illness. These 800,000 lives lost account for
about one-third of all deaths in the United States. Scary numbers, but you can do something about it.
It’s time to face your risk factors – if you haven’t done so
already. The good news is that there are many ways to reduce your risk of heart
disease, involving both medical and
lifestyle care.
That’s why “knowing your numbers” is so important. For your
heart, these numbers include:
-Total cholesterol
-HDL cholesterol (good – think H for healthy)
-LDL cholesterol (bad – think L for lousy)
-Triglycerides
-Glucose (blood sugar)
The first four numbers relate directly to heart disease
risk. Blood glucose relates to your diabetes risk. Diabetes is a
well-documented risk factor for heart disease.
The prevention and treatment of heart disease risk and
illness requires a team approach between you and your doctor. It’s important to
have honest and open ongoing discussions with your doctor about your family
history of heart disease, current lifestyle, and inclusion of medications that
can help support a healthy heart.
It’s essential (and challenging!) to do your part in working toward a heart-healthy lifestyle. Controlling
your weight, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lower in animal
fats, quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, and managing stress are
all important factors you can modify. Baby steps count. Pick one area to
change, and add on to your progress as you master one goal.
Lifestyle change is a
marathon, not a sprint.
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