National Wear Red Day

Today is National Wear Red Day, something established by the American Heart Association to raise awareness about heart disease in women. I’ll admit that heart disease is something I’ve thought very little about in the past. But in January, my mom suffered a series of strokes.

Ironically, my mom doesn’t fit the “typical” profile of a woman with heart disease. She’s a vegetarian (been so for 20 years). Not overweight. Not a smoker. Exercises regularly. In our family, she’s the one who is always dispensing healthy lifestyle advice. Always up on the latest health information. So for her to be the one lying in a hospital bed, looking frail and vulnerable, was quite a shock for our family.

The cause of her strokes was related to undiagnosed high blood pressure. She is now on a host of medications and thankfully the prognosis for her recovery is good. Mobility is slowly returning and her attitude toward the process has not only been amazing, but inspiring. She has made such strides in just one month that her blood pressure medication dosage has already been reduced and her therapy sessions reduced from twice a week to just once a week.

If you have a family history of heart disease, I strongly urge you to establish a relationship with a doctor you feel comfortable with. My mom never went to the doctor because she felt she was leading a healthy lifestyle, so she didn't see the point. Of course, out of necessity, she now has a doctor that she is seeing regularly, but had she been going in for a yearly checkup prior to her strokes, her high blood pressure could've been detected early and the strokes possibly prevented.

Consider these statistics:

• Heart disease is the # 1 killer of American women.
• 1 in every 3 women dies of heart disease.
• Nearly two-thirds of American women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.
• Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle.
• 1 in 5 females in the U.S. have some form of heart disease.
• A woman dies from heart disease every 34 seconds.
• Heart disease claims more women’s lives than the next 8 causes of deaths combined . . . including breast cancer.

There is much we can do to take control of our health. The AHA lays it out in 7 simple steps:

1. Get active
2. Eat better
3. Lose weight
4. Control cholesterol
5. Manage blood pressure
6. Reduce blood sugar
7. Stop smoking

For some people, this list might seem intimidating, but even starting with one and working your way through over time is a start.

This is a very serious topic and one most women - especially those of us in our 30's who might feel we're invincible - should take note of. For more information on heart disease, the warning signs and steps you can take to reduce your risk, please visit the American Heart Association's Web site.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to wear red today!