February 5 is National Wear Red Day, a national public awareness
day to bring attention to the leading killers of women - heart disease and
stroke. Heart disease is the second and stroke is the fourth leading
cause of death for Maine women.
The American Heart Association states that 80 percent of all
cardiovascular disease may be preventable. The best way to prevent it or
catch it before it becomes life threatening is by having a well-woman visit
(also known as an annual physical). These visits are tailored to your
age, family history and past health history. The visits often include
preventive screenings such as cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), blood
pressure and other assessments designed to evaluate your heart health.
This will help to identify any serious health risks, such as heart disease or
stroke, before they become life threatening.
Well-woman visits should be scheduled every year. If you
go several years between visits, you run the risk of a health problem going
undetected and causing damage to your body. Medicare and most private
health insurance plans are now required to cover preventive services at no
added cost to you.
To learn more about the well-woman visit: http://bit.ly/WellWomanVisit
To learn more about risk factors for cardiovascular disease: http://MaineHeartHealth.org
