When I think of February being the shortest month of the year and the only month with fewer than 30 days, many fun events/activities come to mind: Black History Month, Super Bowl (yay Ravens), Valentine’s Day, Ground Hog Day, and President’s Day. However, Heart Healthy Month has been relatively new on the calendar in recent years. According to the annual national health awareness calendar, specifically for women, “Go Red for Women” is sponsored by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of heart disease in women. In the past, when one heard statistics about heart disease, the attention always seemed geared toward men. But anyone can be at risk. Are you being grateful to your heart?
Since the “Go Red for Women” Campaign started ten years ago, significant strides have been made in women’s heart disease. The death rate for women and heart disease has dropped in the last ten years, women’s guidelines created by the American Heart Association have educated millions of healthcare professionals to recognize and treat heart disease in women, and the number of women aware of their No.1 killer has jumped from 22% to well over 50%.
As I mentioned on this blog’s “about” page, I’ve been in pharmaceutical sales for 15 years. My years in the pharmaceutical industry have afforded me great awareness and information on healthcare and staying healthy. I have been fortunate to sell many aspects that benefit our health, including cardiovascular. Years ago, I promoted pharmaceuticals that focused on improving quality of life with “heart drugs.” Diseases of the heart include some of the following: stroke, heart attack, and coronary artery disease.
I want to share a few critical points that as women are gracefully aging, one needs to keep the following points in mind about heart health: