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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and
women in the United States. Even if you do not have a
personal or family history, it is likely that you will still
be impacted in some way by heart disease during your
lifetime. Whether it is a friend, a co-worker, a
professional athlete, a celebrity, a neighbor, or a loved
one, if you don’t already know someone who has been
diagnosed, you likely will. Chances are, we all know people
who have been diagnosed with heart disease right now, but we
do not always know about their diagnosis. Heart and health
problems are often a private topic. Fortunately, some of the
celebrities listed above have made their personal story of
heart disease a public topic.
What can we learn from health advocates like Star Jones and
Toni Braxton? As a National Volunteer for the American Heart
Association, Star Jones admitted,
“I thought heart disease was an old white guy’s disease,”
and she was surprised to learn it’s the No. 1 cause of death
among women. “We need to change the face of heart disease.”
Toni Braxton has shared a similar idea, that we picture an
older, retired guy. As frightening as the statistics might
be for an old white male, the risks for heart disease are
higher for African Americans. Please know that the risks are
for men and women and all ages. The good news is that
the odds to prevent and beat heart disease can be improved
by taking steps to address them. Toni Braxton has described
herself as a “poster girl for heart disease” and promotes
the following.
·
Make healthy food choices. It seems like a lot of work to
learn about fat and sodium, and maybe even about foods
you’ve never tried before. For some people it might mean
eating smaller serving sizes. For others it might mean
choosing leaner options of meat. For many of us, it means
choosing more fruits and vegetables (minus the high-fat and
high-sodium sauces)
·
Move more. This is also a tip that we are all familiar with.
Exercise is a great way to control cholesterol numbers as
well as stress. The American Heart Association reminds us
that we are not required to do a marathon! Aim for at least
30 minutes of walking a day. If that seems like a lot, it is
fine to start with 10 minutes of walking a day and increase
the length of time.
·
Don’t smoke. It increases the risk of heart disease and
stroke by two to four times and can reduce life expectancy
by 13 to 14 years. Quitting smoking can cut the risk of
heart disease and stroke in half in just one year.
·
Know your numbers. Keeping track of your blood pressure,
cholesterol, blood sugar levels and body-mass index can help
you determine your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Work with your health care provider to keep track of your
numbers and to make small changes to meet your target goals
for healthy numbers.
Granted, it may seem “easier” for someone with celebrity
status and income to keep up with healthier practices
(especially if they have help from professional chefs and
coaches) but it also shows that celebrity status cannot
protect anyone from heart disease. We cannot change our
personal and family health history, but we can become
educated on our best options now to keep a healthy heart
into the future.
Are you interested in learning more throughout February
about being Strong @ Heart? The OSU Extension, Live Healthy
Live Well Team invites you to sign up for the February –
March 6-week email challenge. You may be thinking, yeah,
yeah, yeah, but I don’t want a bunch of medical jargon
thrown at me. Great! The Strong @ Heart email challenge will
give you some information about heart disease and
some tips on how to help you stay healthy, but it will
be relatable. Many of the writers for the email challenge
have personal stories as to why this topic is so important
to them. The challenge starts Feb 1st but you
still have time to register for the free email challenge
until the end of this week. You can go directly to
go.osu.edu/LHLWLucas to sign up or to read more
information, visit the OSU Extension, Lucas County website
at lucas.osu.edu.
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