One in three Canadian women die of heart disease and stroke, making it the
leading cause of death in women.
Most women aren't aware they have a problem or that they can reduce their risk
of heart disease and stroke by as much as 80 per cent by making simple lifestyle
changes.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation's Heart Truth campaign educates women on how to
identify risk factors and warning signs of heart disease and stroke.
As part of this initiative, the foundation has launched its Heartbeats on-line
initiative.
Heartbeats will provide women living in small communities as well as those
residing in urban areas with weekly lifestyle tips via text message, email, or
RSS feed.
The tips are incremental and achievable for women of all health and fitness
levels.
As each lifestyle change is incorporated, women will see their health and energy
levels improve over the year, says Jodine (Gill) Kean, director of health
promotion with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
"The tips are small suggestions but at the end of the year you'll have huge
gains in becoming heart healthy," Kean says.
Women today lead very busy lives, she adds. This might explain why they are not
concentrating on their own health.
While heart healthy lifestyle changes are not complicated, Kean says, it takes
encouragement and discipline to turn intentions into habit.
Heartbeats helps women take small steps that add up to big gains.
Because heart disease and stroke share many of the same root causes, many
prevention efforts give women additional health benefits by protecting them
against both heart disease and stroke, Kean says.
According to Kean, Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest incidence of heart
disease and stroke, in both men and women, in the country.
"Part of this is because of our risk factors. Newfoundlanders consume the most
sodium which affects our hypertension, plus our fat content is really high," she
says.
Lifestyle changes that will be encouraged through the Heartbeats initiative
include smoking cessation, regular exercise, and healthy eating.
According to the foundation, following a low-fat diet, lowering salt intake and
eating at least five servings of vegetables and fruit per day will put women on
the right track to heart health.
"The tips will also include information on blood pressure and cholesterol
because we know there are many women out there who have never had their blood
pressure checked or their cholesterol level taken," Kean says.
Eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats is important, Kean notes, as
consuming too much saturated fat may increase the bad LDL cholesterol and lower
the good HDL cholesterol, which can increase the risk of high blood pressure,
narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack and stroke.
The foundation estimates that high blood pressure affects one in five Canadians.
Monitoring and controlling blood pressure can reduce risk of stroke by up to 40
per cent, risk of heart disease by 50 per cent and risk of heart failure by up
to 25 per cent.
First hand knowledge
Originally from Labrador City, Kean grew up in Mount Pearl and lived in Calgary
for over a decade.
She is concerned about heart disease and stroke both personally and
professionally.
Both her parents, who are from Bonavista Bay, live with heart problems.
Therefore, she knows first-hand how important it is to be aware of the risk for
heart disease and stroke.
"My dad had his first heart attack in his forties so I'm not going to let that
happen to me. I'm only 37 but I'm on medication because I have a genetic
disposition to high cholesterol. I've had it since I was 16," she says.
As an incentive to encourage women to go on-line and sign up for Heartbeats,
those who do so before March 2, 2009 will have their names entered in the Heart
of Fashion contest.
"They can win a return flight for two to Toronto, two nights at a luxury hotel,
spending money and two VP tickets to the celebrity-studded, Heart Truth Fashion
Show during L'Oreal Fashion Week in March 2009," Kean says.
While there will be women who don't have a computer in their homes, many
libraries and other community-based facilities offer access to the Internet.
However, if there are women concerned about their heart health who do not have
access to a computer, Kean says they are certainly welcome to call her for
advice and guidance.
"I can send them tips and do things for them, presentations if they'd like. So
they are still getting the heart truth but just in a different way."
Jodine Kean can be reached at 1-888-473-4636, extension 22.
To register for Heartbeats visit www.thehearttruth.ca
Source : danette@nl.rogers.com
