(NAPS)—For a growing number of American women, knowingtheir numbers may justsavetheirlife. ‘The Risk The problem is heart disease. According to the American Heart Asso- ciation,it kills one woman about every 80 seconds. ‘The Awareness Paradox While a new nationalpoll, conducted by Morning Consult for CVS Health, found that womenare awareoftherisks of heart disease, most don't know their numbersfor factors that could increase their ownrisk, such as cholesterol, blood sugar, Body Mass Index (BMI)and waist circumference. The survey also found that more thanonein three womenhaveheart-related conditions such as high choles- terol, hypertension (high blood pres- sure), diabetes, and history of stroke or a heart defect. Despite the fact that over a third report having a heart condition themselves, and more than twoinfive have a family history ofheart conditions, just 18 percent of womenoverall say heart health is the most pressing health issue in the USS.today. Doctors’ Advice “This data reinforces what we've known for some time—there is still a great need for more awareness and, particularly, action when it comes to prevention ofheart disease in women)” said SuzanneSteinbaum,D.O., a preven- tive cardiologist from New York and a national Go Red For Womenvolunteer. “Somerisk factors, like age, gender and family history, are, unfortunately, out of women’s control, but others—blood. pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI—can betreated or managed. Now is the time for womentotake controlof their health, and knowingtheir numbers is a greatplace to start.” Knowing your numbers may help yousave yourselffrom theNo. 1 killerin America. of Go Red For Women,the American Heart Associations movement that advocates for more research andswifter action for women's heart health. As part ofits support, CVS Health funds cardiovascular research and provides heart- healthy screenings at MinuteClinic, the retail medicalclinic of CVS Health. Connecting Women To Heart Health Resources And Care Providersacrossthe health care con- tinuum can help individuals access the information,preventive screenings, and condition management support they need to improveheart health outcomes. Most womenagree that pharmacists and nursepractitioners are both valuable yet underutilized resources for managing heart health. For example, only half of the 26 percent of women who report concerns abouttheir heart health medication consult their pharmacists, though nearlyall of those who doreport their pharmacists are helpful. What You Can Do By living a healthylifestyle, you can loweryour risk for heart disease. Such a lifestyle, advises the Centers for Disease ControlandPrevention,includes: + Eatinga healthy diet—low in saturated fats,transfat, and cholesterol and high in fiber. “These survey results offer signifi- + Maintaining a healthy weight—your prevalence and the importance of pro- + Getting enough physical activity— 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate exercise a week. cant insights into how women across the country perceive heart disease active care”” added Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.PH., Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health, which commissioned the study. “Together with the American Heart Association, we encourage more women to talk with their health care provideror pharmacist abouttheir risks for heart disease and howto take actions nowthatwill minimizefuturerisk” CVS Health is a national sponsor BMIshould be between 18.5 and 25. + Not smoking—orusing otherformsof tobacco. + Limitingalcohol use—no more than two drinks a day for men, one for women, on average. Learn More You can find further information about heart health at www.cvshealth. com/gored. we n eee Mpa n n nnn -Editor's Note: While ths articis particularly relevant duringFebruary, American Heart Month, its information can be useful to readers atanytime,
