SPRINGFIELD – During American Heart Month, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is urging Illinoisans to take good care of their hearts. IDPH encourages all men and women to learn the signs and symptoms of the nation’s number one killer, heart disease, and take preventative steps to lead heart healthy lives.
“To help prevent heart disease, everyone needs to eat a heart healthy diet, exercise, quit smoking and control other health conditions such as diabetes,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold. “Together, we can help promote heart disease awareness and heart healthy living.”
By making some of the following changes, a person can help reduce their risk of heart disease:
Stop smoking
Be more physically active
Eat a well balanced diet (high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats and cholesterol)
Maintain a proper weight
Check blood pressure regularly
Reduce stress and tension
Limit intake of alcohol and caffeine
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The latest statistics show that in 2007, more than 12,700 men in Illinois died from heart disease and in 2009, more than 213,000 men were told they had a heart attack. Although sometimes thought of as only a “man’s disease,” women account for nearly 50 percent of all heart disease deaths according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The latest statistics show that in 2007, more than 13,000 women in Illinois died from heart disease, and more than 146,000 women were told they had a heart attack in 2009.
To increase awareness of heart disease in women, the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Women’s Health administers a number of programs to help address cardiovascular health and lifestyle changes in Illinois women. One example, the Women Out Walking Program, is an innovative program that educates women of all ages about the importance of exercise, particularly walking, and has helped provide the support they need to start walking groups and clubs.
People with high blood pressure, cholesterol, who are overweight and who smoke are at an increased risk of developing heart disease. For more information on the signs, symptoms, treatments, and ways to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, log onto