Go Red for Life
Heart disease--many times is assumed to be a `man`s disease`, but that is a huge mistake on the part of women. Today, February 3, 2012 is National Wear Red Day and hopefully you all donned your favorite red sweater, shirt, skirt, or tie in support of bringing awareness to this deadly issue.
According to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, these are the current statistics on this increasingly common disease among women:
- More than 3 million women have a history of heart attack
- 7.5 million women will suffer angina
- 7.5 million women are living now with CHD (coronary heart disease)
- 42.7 million women are currently living with some form or another of cardiovascular disease.
The statistics speak for themselves—the group at the highest risk is African-American women at 78%, followed by Hispanic-American women at 75% and Caucasian women the lowest at 59%. Women who face other diseases such as diabetes have an increased chance of not only developing CVD but also dying from it. Heart disease kills more than one-third of American women on an annual basis, translating to roughly 421,918 deaths every year.
Though considered a `man`s health issue` only 18% of men will die within the first year of a recognized heart attack versus the 23% of women who pass--this may be because women are less likely than men to receive adequate and proper treatment after suffering a heart attack.
So ladies, it`s your heart--take care of it and get checked on annual basis for CVD, or as often as your Doctor requires it if you have history of heart disease in your family.
