{"id":13767,"date":"2023-02-16T15:09:27","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T21:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/?p=13767"},"modified":"2024-02-10T11:53:58","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T17:53:58","slug":"live-to-the-beat-time-to-learn-about-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/live-to-the-beat-time-to-learn-about-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Live to the Beat! Time to Learn about Heart Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

February is the month for Valentines, symbolized by big red hearts.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a good time to think about your own heart, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>, which supports the White House proclamation<\/a> of February as American Heart Month.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Swope Health, we encourage all patients to be aware of heart disease, which is recognized as a leading cause of death<\/a> in the US, claiming 700,000 lives a year. It also is the No. 1 cause of death in women, causing one in three deaths each year, and the leading cause of death for Black and Hispanic people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Heart disease<\/a> refers to several types of conditions, including coronary artery disease \u2013 the buildup that lessens the flow of blood to the heart, which can cause a heart attack. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are key factors that increase the risk of heart disease. Other factors include diabetes, being overweight, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and excessive alcohol use.<\/p>\n

These conditions \u2013 especially high blood pressure and diabetes\u2013 disproportionately affect people of color. High blood pressure<\/a> is more common in Black Americans than any other race or ethnic group, and, and it develops earlier in life. Black adults are nearly twice as likely as white adults to develop diabetes<\/a>. Highlighting these racial disparities is an important part of Swope Health\u2019s educational campaign to raise awareness and promote health equity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want all our patients, and especially women and people of color, to understand the risks and take action to prevent heart disease or stroke with smart and healthy decisions about self-care, exercise, and food,\u201d says Dr. Naiomi Jamal, Chief Health Officer at Swope Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeart disease is sometimes called a \u2018silent killer,\u2019 because not everyone with the disease has symptoms,\u201d she noted. \u201cMany women don\u2019t recognize how common heart disease is, even though it kills more women than all types of cancer combined.\u201d\"\"<\/p>\n

It is especially important for Black women to be aware, as the disease disproportionally impacts Black women. According to the American Heart Association<\/a>, among Black women ages 20 and up, nearly 59 percent have a cardiovascular or heart disease. Additionally, since 1984, more women than men have died from heart disease, and the gap has been growing every year.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason may be because the symptoms of heart disease can be different between men and women. Since most medical research has historically focused on white men, the differences in symptoms are often misunderstood in women and communities of color.<\/p>\n

For example, the most common symptom of a heart attack in men is pain, pressure, or discomfort in the chest. But women may not have chest pain or may experience the pain differently. For women, the most common heart attack symptoms<\/a> are:<\/p>\n