Did you know that the American Heart Assosciation actually charges food makers for their endorsement?

I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t eat a food the AHA endorses, but what I am saying is – when was the last time a piece of broccoli told you it was endorsed by the AHA? Or spinach, or those cute little Italian Butter Beans? I bet never. So look beyond labels when you look for food that will be good for your heart!

Source: Pollan, Michael, Unhappy Meals, 01/28/2007

With every statistic I read it becomes clearer that knowing the signs of heart disease is one of the most important things between life and death.

Timely access to emergency cardiac care and survival is partly dependent on early recognition of heart attack symptoms and immediate action by calling emergency services. In a 2001 survey, most persons (95%) recognized chest pain as a heart attack symptom, but only 11% correctly classified all symptoms and knew to call 9–1–1 when someone was having a heart attack.

Probably due in large part to the fact that only 11% of the population knew the signs, but

It is estimated that about 47% of cardiac deaths occur before emergency services or transport to a hospital.

The National Heart Attack Alert Program notes these major symptoms of a heart attack:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other symptoms. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat or feeling nausea or light–headedness.

Source: Center For Disease Control, Heart Disease Facts

I find this statistic pretty startling and scary, though perhaps I shouldn’t when we think about how common heart disease has become.

In 2003, approximately 37% of adults reported having two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• current smoking
• physical inactivity, and
• obesity.

There are many easy things you can do to get out of that 37% (that is greater than one-third of the population!). Go for a daily walk, stop smoking, try to lose a few pounds. One step at a time, just little improvements will add up quickly!

Source: Center For Disease Control, Heart Disease Facts

I have previously mentioned that heart disease is the number 1 killer in the United States – for both men & women. But sometimes hearing that it is the top killer is different from seeing the statistics. Here they are:

Source: Healing with Nutrition, Cardiovascular Disease Facts, Disease Prevention and Treatment Strategies

Unfortunately detecting heart disease isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Early medical detection and treatment is available, but the effectiveness of this in actually preventing heart attacks is questionable according to a study that was published in the journal Circulation.

In this study, Dr. Lewis Kuller reviewed the medical records of 326 individuals who had received medical examinations within the six month period before they died from a sudden heart attack. Eighty-six of the 326 examinations were done within the seven day period prior to death from heart attack. Not a single one of the 326 heart attacks had been predicted by the physicians.

Those are fairly grim statistics. Be sure you know the warning signs for a heart attack!

Source: Healing with Nutrition, Cardiovascular Disease Facts, Disease Prevention and Treatment Strategies

Want to do something GOOD and EASY that is sure to help you have a healthier heart? EASY!!!

[A] research team discovered that women who snooze less than six hours each night increase their risk for developing high blood pressure by 70%, compared with those who get seven to eight hours.

Need more? Here are other good things about sleep:

• when you sleep, your heart rate slows and blood pressure dips by an average of 10-20% (so when you don’t sleep – your heart works harder for longer during the day – causing blood pressure to rise)
• after just one night of four hours’ sleep, the level of blood proteins increase; blood proteins are directly linked to a greater risk of stroke and heart attack
• less sleep also causes your immune system to go into overdrive – flooding the body with infection-fighting white blood cells that can actually damage healthy tissue

So if you needed another reason to get a full nights sleep – you have got it! Sleep well tonight!

Source: Shape Magazine, March 2007, p101