About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease. 1.1 million Americans will experience a serious heart event this year. One in four Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Every 34 seconds one American will die as a result of cardiovascular disease. No other disease claims as many women's lives as cardiovascular disease. One American woman dies each minute as a result of cardiovascular disease. Around 700,000 Americans will have a stroke this years. That's one stroke every 45 seconds. HEART DISEASE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF AMERICANS. IT KILLS AS MANY AMERICANS AS THE NEXT 5 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH. The most important step in reducing your risk of heart disease is to see your doctor and to get him or her to check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you already have coronary artery disease, or if your cholesterol levels are very high, you need to be under a doctor's care. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to get your blood pressure checked. Get a record of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Your goal will be to get them down to healthy levels. To be healthy your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL with your HDL (good) cholesterol being greater than 40 mg/dL. Your systolic blood pressure should be less than 120 and your diastolic blood pressure should be less than 80. |
