Go Red for Women Day
Go Red for Women Day – Today is “Go Red for Women” day, an initiative started by the American Heart Association which encourages women to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease among women.
The latest statistics show that in the US, heart disease kills a woman every minute. Women often don’t pay attention to symptoms of heart disease, which can be different from men’s, and as a result don’t take precautions to prevent the disease.
Heart disease covers a host of heart-related conditions such as congestive heart failure, arrhythmia and coronary artery disease. Symptoms include the following:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Pain in arm, back, neck, or jaw
- Sweating
- Stomach pain
- Fatigue
Contributing factors include hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, hyperlipidemia, and family history. According to experts, many of these risk factors can be prevented or reduced with lifestyle changes. Simple changes to your diet and including physical activity and exercise can help prevent heart disease.
Women are encouraged to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which recommends eating a healthy and balanced diet that inlcludes 6 to 8 servings of grains, 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and fruits, 3 servings of low-fat dairy, 4 to 5 servings of protein, healthy fats and reducing intake of salt and sugar, alcohol and caffeine.
Category: News
