Heart Disease #1 Killer Among Women

Even Small Lifestyle Changes Can Lower Risk for Heart Disease

Think men are more prone to heart disease?  Try again.  More women than men die of heart disease each year.  In fact:
Nearly 39% of all female deaths in the United States occur from cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association).
 
Heart attack, stroke and related cardiovascular diseases are responsible for almost twice as many deaths among women as all forms of cancer combined (American Heart Association).
 
·Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women. It affects 1 in 10 women over the age of 18 (National Institute on Health).

While awareness of heart disease as the leading cause of death has increased from 30% in 1997 to 46% in 2003, only 20% of women consider it to be their own greatest health risk. National Wear Red Day, February 1, 2008, is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness and bring well-needed attention to this #1 killer.  

“National Wear Red Day is a great opportunity to teach women about the prevalence of heart disease, and to help them understand that even though heart disease cannot be cured, it can be managed with positive lifestyle changes,” says August Stieber, of Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA), a national EAP firm.  

The problem is that women don’t change these habits as often as men, even when they have relatives with heart disease.  Researchers at University of Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found that these women were more likely to engage in lifestyle choices that increase their risk of heart disease than are women who didn’t report a history of heart disease.

“Women need to realize that making even one lifestyle change reduces their risk for heart disease,” says Stieber. “In fact, the risk of heart disease can be lowered by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle, according to The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.”  

Stieber offers these lifestyle suggestions:  

Exercise:  Regular physical activity --- even as simple as walking 30 minutes a day ---- lead to improved blood pressure, cholesterol levels and cardiovascular fitness. 

·Nutrition: A diet low in fat and high in fiber can help reduce the risk for heart attack by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Stress Reduction:  Stress management reduces heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol --- all of which improve heart health. 
Call EAP:  An employer’s Employee Assistance Program can provide the education, support and guidance needed to make these changes ---- and maintain them.
 
National Wear Red Day was launched in partnership with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

Bensinger, DuPont & Associates is a privately owned professional services company that is dedicated to promoting healthy outcomes for employees, the workplace, individuals and their families through a wide range of consultation, training and counseling services. 



 

 

 

 



 
 

 

 
 

 



 

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