Celebrate “Go Red For Women” and Raise Your Awareness of Heart Disease Prevention

This year the American Heart Association (AHA) celebrates 10 years of going red to fight the number one killer of women—heart disease. Each February, the AHA celebrates its “Go Red for Women” campaign to raise awareness of the factors impacting heart disease in women. SimplyHome would like to join in by sharing some important statistics and offering tips for prevention. Did you know? • 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease • While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer, 1 in 3 dies from heart disease • The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women than in men. Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, back or jaw pain, fainting, pain the lower chest or upper abdomen, and extreme fatigue. • High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (49%) have at least one of these three risk factors. • Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including: diabetes, obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity

How does technology support prevention of heart disease?

Certainly, you can make lifestyle choices that promote physical health and reduce stress—eating healthily, exercising, and managing your blood pressure, to name a few. Ongoing monitoring of wellness factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight can also provide helpful data needed to make informed decisions. Given the portable technology available today, you do not have to visit a health provider to check your vital signs. New products on the market make it easy for you to collect reliable health data and, if you choose, share that information with family or care providers. A small, wireless base unit captures the statistics from the wellness tools then stores it in a confidential online customer health profile. Should your vital signs fall in a parameter of concern, trained care center staff and nurses notify family/care providers, or they contact emergency services on your behalf. Wellness technology is easy to use and affordable. If used regularly, it tracks changing trends in your health status and possibly prevents costly hospitalizations. More importantly, however, it offers peace of mind knowing that you have the tools necessary to be proactive in your own health management.

Cameron Kempson, M.Ed.