Did you know that every year, an estimated 485,000 American women die of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), more than twice the number who die of all forms of cancer combined? So why is it, then, that most of us worry more about cancer than we worry about our hearts?
As a wellness expert, I get to work with all kinds of journalists from across North America, and yesterday I had the privilege of connecting with powerhouse American journalist Charlotte Libov. In addition to writing for publications such as the New York Times, Charlotte is a passionate advocate for women’s heart health, a journey that began after she went through her own open heart surgery. This grabbed my attention, as I’m preparing a seminar for a women’s evening in Los Cabos, and several of the ladies who will be attending have told me that they want to learn more about the signs of heart disease in women, and how to prevent it. .
Thanks to Charlotte, who’s also the founder of National Women’s Heart Health Day, I now have some fabulous resources and life-saving information to share with my seminar guests, and with you.
Have you ever stopped to think about the possibility that you might be at risk for heart disease?
I don’t like to think about it, either, but there’s no escaping the fact that heart disease is the number one killer of women. And it’s not something that’s only important to “older” women, either, as the habits of a lifetime are what injure your cardiovascular system, over time.
If you’re like me, you probably worry more about breast cancer, or cancer in general, than you think about heart disease.
Here’s what Charlotte, author of “The Woman’s Heart Book”, had to say about this, in an online interview on pinksunrise.com:
“For generations, women (and their doctors) have been educated to believe that heart disease is a problem almost solely for men. Research studies were lacking in women, and the few research studies that did focus on women found that chest pain and other heart-related symptoms did not bode a serious problem for women. Unfortunately, in hindsight, those studies were wrong. But, as a result, those of us who are concerned about heart disease in women are still playing catch-up. Unfortunately, also, heart disease is a silent disease. Women who are celebrities and breast cancer survivors feel almost obligated to share their stories. Heart disease is much more of a silent disease. There are female celebrities with heart disease, but they remain silent. Most of us know Betty Ford for her battles with breast cancer and substance abuse; how many know that she has undergone bypass surgery as well?”
She’s right. When the guests of my upcoming seminar asked me to talk about heart disease, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, as I actually hadn’t planned for that topic to be part of the health section of my seminar. Now, I’m going to make sure that I highlight this issue, and will direct my audience to check out the information on Charlotte’s website after they go home.
For an outstanding summary on heart disease in women (with information on everything from “beating the top killer of women”, to “heart attack warning signs in women”, and what to do if you get diagnosed with a “heart problem”), check out this link to Charlotte’s site.
And Charlotte isn’t just a heart health advocate, as she’s become a respected expert, and published author, in multiple areas of women’s health. For a list of various other excellent articles on her site, click here
It’s time all women took this serious issue to heart!
