Live Red for Your Heart
Women from around the Tri-Cities region of
Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia have joined together in activities
and events to support Live Red for Your Heart and to fight against
heart disease in women.
More women die of cardiovascular disease than
the next five causes of death combined – and that includes ALL forms of
cancer. That’s why Live Red for Your Heart is dedicated to building
awareness of heart disease in women.
Live Red is brought to you by the Wellmont CVA
Heart Institute and WCYB
News 5.
Learn about heart disease
Cardiovascular disease includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Most heart and blood vessel problems develop over time and occur when your arteries develop atherosclerosis, a process that begins in childhood and involves a gradual buildup of plaque inside your arteries.
Plaque contains fat, cholesterol and other substances and can grow large enough to significantly reduce blood flow through an artery. Most of the damage occurs when a plaque becomes fragile and ruptures.
Plaques that rupture can cause blood clots to form. These clots can block blood flow at the site of the rupture or can break off and travel through the artery to another part of the body. If either happens and blocks an artery that feeds the heart or brain, it causes a heart attack or stroke.
Heart attacks
Here are some signs a heart attack may be happening:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. This feeling may occur with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs of discomfort. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Strokes
A stroke is a medical emergency. You should learn to recognize a stroke, because any delay in treatment can lead to brain damage.
Warning signs may include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
If you or someone you know shows signs of heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately.
Take charge of your heart health, and know your numbers.
Research has shown that 80 percent of heart attacks in women are preventable if you make the right choices for your heart, such as changing your eating habits, getting regular exercise and managing cholesterol and blood pressure.
Blood glucose: A fasting plasma glucose test measures the amount of sugar in the blood. It is used to help diagnose diabetes, which can contribute to heart disease.
- Less than 100 mg/dL Normal
- 100-125 mg/dL Impaired/Pre-diabetes
- 126 or higher Diabetes
Blood pressure: Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries.
- Less than 120/80 Optimal
- 120-39/80-89 Prehypertension
- 140/90 or higher High blood pressure
Total blood cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that can clog arteries, leading to heart disease.
- Less than 200 mg/dL Desirable
- 200-239 mg/dL Borderline high
- 240 mg/dL or higher High
Body mass index: Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.
- Less than 18.5 Underweight
- 18.5-24.9 Normal weight
- 25-29.9 Overweight
- 30 or greater Obese
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