February is Heart Health Month, which means it’s all about learning how to keep your heart healthy and prevent heart disease.
You can reduce your risk of heart disease by:
- being smoke free
- staying physically active
- eating a healthy diet
- maintaining a healthy weight
- limiting alcohol use
Here are a few online resources to help you better understand heart disease and how to prevent it:
Women & Heart Health
Did you know that:
- Every 20 minutes a woman in Canada dies from heart disease.
- Five times more women die from heart disease than from breast cancer.
- Two-thirds of heart health research focuses on men
- Only 20% of women’s doctors talk to them about heart health
These are just a few of the startling statistics contained in the 2018 Heart Report released by the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death for women in Canada, yet women’s hearts are still vastly misunderstood. It’s shocking that we are so far behind in our understanding of women’s hearts, and that new knowledge is so slow to reach the bedside.” (Yves Savoie, CEO, Heart & Stroke).
“Too many women still mistakenly believe that breast cancer is the greatest threat to their health while in reality it is heart disease. As a result, they are not looking for the symptoms of heart disease such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath or extreme fatigue. They may miss or dismiss these symptoms, delaying or not seeking medical help, potentially putting them at serious risk.” (Women Healthy Heart Initiative).
It’s important to know the symptoms of heart attack for women:
- Pain
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
