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It seems fitting that February is National Heart Disease Month. While we are all so involved in buying heart-shaped Valentine's cards and candies, our nation has suggested that we might take a moment or two to consider what has become the number 1 killer of women in America. That's right. It kills more women than cancer. It kills more women than obesity. It kills more women than abuse and other violent crimes.
Perhaps you don't realize that one in two or three women -- that's 33% - 50% of us, will die of heart disease? That may take a little of the fun out of Valentines Day, but I would rather you know the truth because the truth is always instrumental in setting you free. And the sad fact is, that like Type II Diabetes, it is a mostly-preventable disease -- one that I can help you with.
Let's first discover what heart disease is. Coronary heart disease is the main form of heart disease. It is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that causes them to become clogged and blocked which results in a deficient flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart itself. Although coronary heart disease is the main form, other forms include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease. In addition, once you have heart disease, you will always have heart disease. Lifestyle changes can alleviate some of the signs and contribute to a better quality of life, but your arteries will forever remain damaged, short of God's intervention (which we know is a definite possibility!).
So what are the signs of heart disease? If you think they are always definite and dramatic, you are wrong. They are often very subtle and include the following:
Note that the 1st three are more commonly experienced by women than the others. We often do not experience any of the others, but sleep disturbances and shortness of breath seem to be experienced by most everyone. Note, too, that these symptoms may occur more than a month prior to the heart attack. Take heed.
If you or someone you know experiences these symptoms, the number 1 response to them is denial. And death shortly follows denial. Wouldn't you rather be a bit embarrassed from being wrong than to watch your family from across the great divide as they mourn your loss? Remember that timing is absolutely critical. Treatment that begins within one hour of the onset decreases mortality by 50%. That number drops to 23% if treatment begins 3 hours later. The goal is to begin treatment within 2 hours. Remember that.
Next, let's cover some factors contributing to heart disease:
So what's a woman to do with this information as Valentines Day approaches? First, take a moment to let these facts sink in and then plan to have a happy and loving rendezvous that includes plenty of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is known to have plenty of polyphenols which help keep the bad cholesterol from damaging your arteries.
References
The Health Heart Women's Handbook
American Heart Association
Nutrition, Health & Heart Disease; Cause & Prevention
Delicious Decisions from the American Heart Association
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This is "The Body Sculptress'" syndicated health and fitness column for February 2004. It is protected by a Copyright 2004 and all rights are reserved.
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