Heart Disease: 1 in 3 Women Die From It

That fact should scare all of us, women and men! More women die of heart disease than all the cancers combined, but as is customary in our society, the boobs get more attention (had to steal that line from a friend's FB page). I'm all for finding a cure to any cancer, as I have lost a number of family members to the disease, but I have a number of friends in their 50's and 60's with heart disease, and I want them to live to a ripe old age with a good quality of life.

I went to a terrific heart health fair last Saturday at Carolinas Medical Center. I strongly encourage you to seek out these types of health fairs in your area (usually sponsored by local hospitals) and attend them----I always learn something, and it always motivates me a little more to keep learning and stay with my healthy (such as it is) lifestyle. Besides that, at this health fair there were all sorts of little thank you gifts for attending----I think I came away with 4 goodie bags from various offices and organizations, filled with paper pads, pill dispensers (I now have 3 new ones of various sizes), pens, and lots of good literature.

Today I am sharing with you something simple but powerful. Most of you know that the warning signs for heart attacks in women are often different and more subtle than in men so we have to be vigilant for them. An easy way to remember the warning signs is P.U.L.S.E. :

Persistent chest pain
Upset stomach
Lightheadedness
Shortness of breath
Excessive sweating

Also, know the risk factors for heart disease:

• Family History
• Smoking
• High cholesterol and/or blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity/overweight
• Lack of physical activity