by Mark Miranda, Gazette Contributing Writer
 

More than 8 million women in America are living with heart disease. Yet, ninety percent of women surveyed by the American Heart Association (AHA) could not name the less common signs of a heart attack, such as nausea, fatigue and dizziness.
Cardiovascular disease will claim the lives of approximately 950,000 men and women in the United States this year. More than half of those who will die from heart disease are women. Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s call to action for women to take charge of their heart health by educating themselves about the special risks they face and learning the most effective ways to reduce them. Women are being urged to make heart disease and stroke awareness top priorities in their lives.
Lack of physical activity is a risk factor which contributes significantly to heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease. To reduce your risk, the AHA recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
Women should make an attempt to include exercise as part of their regular routine, and be certain to check with their physicians before they join a gym or begin a rigorous exercise program.
Since 64 percent of women who died of heart disease had no symptoms of this disease, it is important to have regular checkups with your physician.
It is never to early to begin adherence to a healthy nutritious diet, to incorporate exercise in your daily routine, to stop smoking and to see your family physician for checkups and screening tests for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.
Call the Physician Referral Service at Kessler at 561-6700 extension 5454 for information on general practitioners or cardiologists on the Kessler Hospital Medical Staff.