The Heart Of The Matter (NAPSA)—Everyoneis at risk for heart disease and stroke. People ofall ages, genders, races and ethnicities are affected. However, certain populations, including African Americans, are at higher risk thanothers. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, remains the No.1 killer of Americans. Recent studies have shown that nearly 44 percent of African-American men and 48 percentof African-American women have someform of CVD. African Americans are also twice as likely as whites to die from preventable heart disease and stroke. Black men are at highest risk of dying early from these conditions. Why are African Americans hardest hit by CVD? Some factors that may contribute to this disparity are that African Americans have the highest rates of high blood pressure compared to other ethnicities—which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke—and highrates of overweight and obesity, elevated cholesterol levels and limited awareness of risk factors. The good newsis that you can beat these conditions. When it comes to reducing yourrisk for heart disease andstroke, the decisions you make every day—and can control—playa bigrole. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can reduce yourrisk and improveyour heart health by following the ABCS: LA: Take aspirin as directed by yourhealthcare professional. 3. B:Control your blood pressure. MeetRoosevelt ‘Smoking causes immediate damage to your body. For Roosevelt, it caused a heart attack. Your risk drops as soon as you quit smoking. At45, Roosevelt experienced a heart attack thatlanded him in the hospital for a month. In order to repair the damageto his heart caused by smoking, doctors inserted stents into his heart. When that wasn't enough, he had bypass surgery—six surgeries inall, Roosevelt is now smoke-free, but he's had to give up his careeras a ‘commercial plumber becausehis heart is no longerstrong enoughforthe strenuous activity such work requires. Learn more about Roosevelt and the importance of stopping smoking from CDC's Tips from FormerSmokers campaign at http:/www.cde.govitobacco/campaigmtips/. Watch Roosevelt's videos online orsee his TV ads running on station nearyou. Manageyourcholesterol. 4.8: Don’t smoke. A: Take aspirin as directed by your health care provider. Ask your health care professional if aspirin can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Be sureto tell him or her if you havea family history of heart disease or stroke and mention your own medical history. B: Control yourblood pressure. High blood pressure often has no symptoms,so be sure to haveit checked on a regular basis. You can check your blood pres- sure at home, at a pharmacy or at a doctor’s office. Making even small lifestyle changes, like reducing sodium(salt) in your diet and beingphysically active, can reduce high blood pressure. ‘C: Manageyourcholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that your body needs, but when you have too much in your blood,it can build up on the walls of your arteries. This can lead to heart disease and stroke. @ Eating foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol and high in fiber canhelp prevent high cholesterol. Your health care team shouldtest your cholesterollevels at least onceevery five years. Talk to your health care professional about this simple blood test and how to lower your bad cholesterol if it’s too high. S: Don’t smoke. Cigarette smokinggreatly increases yourrisk for heart disease. Aboutoneinfive African-American adults smokecigarettes. Ifyou're a smoker, quit as soon as possible. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Talk with your health care professional about how to quit smoking. Additionalfree resourcesinclude 1800-QUIT-NOW and smokefree.gov. Remember, every step brings you closer to a healthier heart and every healthy choice makes a difference! More information on CVD and heart health is available on CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention website: www.cde.gov/dhdsp.
