Go Red for Women: Well-woman visit

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

American Heart Month

Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Maine and describes a variety of conditions that affect your heart and/or blood vessels including coronary artery disease, heart attack, and congestive heart failure.

You can help protect yourself and your loved ones from heart disease by understanding associated risks and taking these steps:

• Know Your ABCS:
  • Do you take Aspirin?  If your healthcare provider has said you are at risk for a heart attack, ask them about taking aspirin.
  • Do you know your Blood Pressure?  A normal blood pressure level is below 120/80.  Talk with your healthcare provider to find out your blood pressure numbers and get in control.
  • Do you know your Cholesterol Level?  A normal cholesterol level is below 200.  Talk with your healthcare provider to find out your cholesterol number and get in control.
  • Do you Smoke?  If you do, get help to quit. Smoking can raise your chances of having a heart attack or stroke.  To help you quit call the Maine Tobacco Help Line at 1-800-207-1230.
• Be physically active at least 30 minutes on most days
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and other foods low in sodium and trans fat
• Take medication as prescribed by your doctor

Million Hearts Initiative

Million Hearts® is a national effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts® brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke. 

To learn more about the initiative or to make the commitment visit: www.millionhearts.hhs.gov.

For more information about heart disease visit: http://mainehearthealth.org/.

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. Most of us know someone who has had a heart attack or stroke. In Maine, more than 1 of every 4 deaths is from heart disease or stroke.

 

You can help protect yourself and your loved ones from heart disease and stroke by understanding the risks and taking these steps

• Know your ABCS
• Ask your doctor if you should take an Aspirin every day
• Find out if you have high Blood pressure or Cholesterol, if you do, work with your doctor to treat it
• If you Smoke, get help to quit ~ Maine Tobacco Helpline 1-800-207-1230
• Be physically active at least 30 minutes on most days
• Eat more fruits, vegetables and other foods low in sodium and transfat
• Take medicine as prescribed by your doctor

What else can you do?

 

Heart Month is a great time to learn about the Million Hearts Campaign.

 

Million Hearts is a national campaign with the goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over five years.

For more about heart disease and stroke visit http://www.mainehearthealth.org/

Do you know the signs of stroke?

Tyra Tarbox is a 45 year old mother of four from Cumberland who suffered a significant seizure resulting in a stroke late one evening after returning home from work. Luckily, her husband was there and he took quick action, calling 911. She was rushed to the hospital, evaluated, and quickly flown to a Boston hospital for surgery.

When she awoke six days later, Tyra had no body movement and could not move her eyes to the right. She had survived not only a stroke, but also a series of complications resulting from her brain’s lack of blood. After almost a month of inpatient rehabilitation in Portland, she returned home on her husband’s birthday and is now leading a full life.

Tyra’s story is one of many stories of Mainers who have had a stroke. Unfortunately, not all the stories end so happily. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Maine and the United States and is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability in adults. The Maine CDC/DHHS Cardiovascular Health Program is working with the Maine Affiliate of the American Stroke Association and other statewide partners to help more Mainers recognize the symptoms of stroke and the importance of calling 911 at the first sign of stroke.

To bring attention to National Stroke Awareness Month, Tyra Tarbox will join statewide partners working to improve stroke systems of care at the American Stroke Association Legislative Awareness Day on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the Maine State House in the Hall of Flags.

Early recognition of stroke symptoms is critical – time lost is brain lost. Stroke symptoms include sudden:

• Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Severe headache

“A patient’s survival and successful recovery are greatly increased if symptoms are recognized quickly and medical attention is given right away,” said Dr. Stephen Sears, Acting Director Maine CDC/DHHS. “Our goal is to raise awareness and empower everyone — patient and bystander — to see stroke as a medical emergency requiring an immediate call to 911. If we increase people’s ability to recognize stroke symptoms, we can positively impact patients and hopefully increase their chance of having little or no long-term physical or mental disability.”

Nearly 75% of all strokes occur in people aged 65 years and older. Risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes also increase the possibility of stroke.

More information is available at the following websites: www.mainehearthealth.org and www.strokeassociation.org.

May Awareness Campaigns

May is a busy month for awareness campaigns. It’s National Arthritis Awareness Month, Asthma Awareness Month, Healthy Vision Month, and Hepatitis Awareness Month.

Drinking Water Week is May 1-7. Followed by Women’s Health Week, which starts on Mother’s Day (May 8).

As the weather warms up and people spend more time outside, we also run into Lyme Disease Awareness Month and Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Heat Safety Awareness Day is May 27 and Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week is May 23-29.

May is also both High Blood Pressure Education Month and Stroke Awareness Month.

What do you know about cardiovascular disease?

It’s American Heart Month and this month’s edition of US CDC’s Vital Signs focuses on cardiovascular disease and what we can do to increase control of high blood pressure and cholesterol -- reducing the number of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Today is National Wear Red Day, established to raise awareness about heart disease in women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. It can begin early, even in the teen years. A woman's risk for heart disease rises between the ages of 40 and 60. No matter how old you are, you can take steps to lower your risk for heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease claims the lives of more than 800,000 adults each year, 150,000 of whom are under the age of 65. Every 39 seconds, an adult dies from a cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack or stroke. Know what to ask your doctor if you have high blood pressure. Know the signs and symptoms of heart attack.

Managing your cholesterol is another way to help keep your heart healthy.

Check out My Life Check from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. For more information on cardiovascular health, visit http://www.mainehearthealth.org/