The diagnosis of cancer is a scary thought. Cancer awareness among women has risen dramatically in the last decade, coming a long way to empower women through education and community support. According to national statistics, a large number of women still believe cancer is the leading cause of death among women. What many people don’t know is that nearly twice as many women die of heart disease and stroke than from all other forms of cancer combine.

Heart disease is an umbrella term used to describe a number of conditions, heart attack, stroke, chest pain, all of which affect the heart and blood vessels. For many people, heart disease is more closely

one in three female deaths are due to heart disease

associated with men than with women. It’s estimated that 8 million American women are living with heart disease today and that one in three women die due to heart disease. When compared to Caucasian women, African American and Hispanic American women are more likely to develop heart disease as they typically have a higher prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

There are a number of factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease. Things such as increasing age, family history, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes all contribute.

While heart disease is a life long condition, it can be controlled. It’s important to discuss heart disease with your doctor and the specific steps you can take to reduce your risk.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. There are several factors that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. One of these factors is race. Black women have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than white women. Compared with whites, African-American women are more likely to die of stroke.

What can you do to prevent heart disease?

• See you doctor for a full exam at least every year.
  Your doctor can identify additional risk factors and
  treat underlying conditions such as high cholesterol,
  high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Stay away from Tobacco smoke. Don’t smoke and
  stay away from people who do.
• Be active. At least 30 minutes of physical activity per
  day will make you feel great, look better & help
  prevent heart disease. (Why not come to the next
  Girlfriends exercise event to get some activities ideas?)
• Keep your weight down. Five fruits and vegetables
  a day. Low fat & high fiber foods. Yum!
• Go easy on alcohol. Although one glass of wine
  a day can be beneficial to heart health, more than
  that can be dangerous to your health.