Guest Author - Sharron Stephens



Recently, I was reading a couple of reports issued by the American Heart Association and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) on Cardiovascular Disease. I was astonished to find these figures:

· Every 35 seconds a person dies from a cardiovascular disease, which equates to 910,000 Americans dying each year.

· 70 million Americans currently live with a cardiovascular disease.

· Nearly 39 percent of all female deaths in America occur from CVD, which include coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.

· In 2003, CVD claimed the lives of 483,842 females; cancer (all forms combined) 267,902.

· Cardiovascular disease is the 3rd leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years of age and the 2nd leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years.

· 38 percent of women compared with 25 percent of men will die within one year after a heart attack.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women.

(The American Heart Association, Center for Disease Control & WISEWOMAN cites these facts and figures).

While it took awhile for me to digest these figures, what it conveyed was that while most of us, believe that CHD (cardiovascular disease) is considered a "man's" disease, women are more likely to die from the disease than men.

You may not be familiar with the term CHD, if diagnosed by your Physician, it will typical mean that you have one or more of the following:

· High blood pressure (hypertension)
· High Cholesterol
· Heart Attack
· Stroke
· Arrhythmia (disorders of the heart's regular beating)
· Arteriosclerosis/Atherosclerosis (clogging of the artery due to calcium and fat deposits).

More research is coming down the pipeline regarding Cardiovascular Disease, however what becomes critically important is taking steps to decrease our risks and/or maintain a healthy lifestyle while dealing with it.

Stress- Known to serve as a catalyst to elevate blood pressure it can also lead to an unfavorable diagnosis by your Doctor. Between family, work, personal commitments and those "surprise" situations, that some of us may not have control over, it is hard to fathom how can we decrease our stress. One idea to consider is prioritizing our tasks, asking ourselves "Does it have to get done today?", or can it be delegated.

Secondly, have a plan. As a wife and mother, I have come to know is that I do not do well, if I don't have any order to my tasks and their timeframe. My life runs smoother when I plan, therefore eliminating the stress or at best decrease it.

Diet- I am not amazed that our diet suffers immediately, when we are pressed for time and stressed, allowing a lifestyle that consists of fast foods, fried foods, and unhealthy snacks etc. These foods, on a consistent basis, due to high amounts of fat, sodium and calories are more likely to cause heart disease.

Adding foods to your diet that include fiber, fruits, vegetables, lean meat and a decrease in sodium and fat, can help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease.

Physical Activity- The CDC recommends 30 minutes of physical activity on most days to help towards reducing your risk. This can include walking, swimming, light jogging, etc.

While all of these suggestions are helpful, there have organizations developed and initiatives started to help fight against cardiovascular disease, such as:

WISEWOMAN (Well-integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation).

DHDSP (Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention)

State Cardiovascular Health Examination Surveys (in Arkansas, Kansas and Washington).

Paul Cloverdell National Stroke Registry (funded for Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and North Carolina).

The CDC has started these organizations and programs.

For more information, please go to the following links