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February 2008
American Heart Month
Watch this VPT & You spot by clicking here.
Coronary heart disease is the number one killer in Vermont, for both men and women. And stroke is the number three leading cause of serious disability
February is Heart Health month. Heart disease kills more than 90,000 people a year in the New England States alone. That's more than cancer and diabetes deaths combined.
Here are some risk factors:
- Tobacco Smoke
- High Blood Cholesterol
- High Blood Pressure
- Physical Inactivity
- Obesity and Overweight
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Stress
- Alcohol
It's never too late to reduce your risk factors. Here are some ways:
- Quit smoking
- Improving your nutrition to lose weight and to reduce cholesterol
- Reduce stress at work and at home
- Get more exercise
You should also be aware of the following early warning signs, and how to respond quickly and properly if they occur. If you experience any of these, call 911 immediately. Minutes really can make a difference. Early warning signs:
- Discomfort in the chest or upper body areas
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Don't miss this month's "Vermont Vital Signs" special on cardiac concerns of women, airing on Wednesday, February 6th, at 7:30 pm and again on Sunday, February 17th, at 5:00 pm.
Community Resources
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American Heart Association
National Center
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
1-800-AHA-USA-1
Local Center
American Heart Association
434 Hurricane Lane
Williston, VT 05495
1-802-878-7700
The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is: "Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." The association's impact goal is to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. Visit their website for more information about heart disease; heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest warning signs and the ABCs of preventing heart disease, stroke and heart attack.
Go Red For Women is a national movement founded by the American Heart Association to help you to fight back against the No. 1 killer of American women. In your personal fight against heart disease, the more details you know about your heart health, the easier it is to protect your heart. That's where the Go Red Heart CheckUp can help. It's here to help women of all ages and backgrounds get the facts they need to partner with their doctors and make smart decisions about their health.
Click here for more information on the 2nd Annual Go Red For Women Luncheon to be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center on February 21.
The Vermont Heart Walk is scheduled for May 16 and will be an evening out with music, food and activities, for children and adults. |
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
1-800-311-3435
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the nation's premier public health agency - working to ensure healthy people in a healthy world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting public health activities in the United States. CDC's focus is not only on scientific excellence but also on the essential spirit that is CDC - to protect the health of all people. CDC keeps humanity at the forefront of its mission to ensure health protection through promotion, prevention, and preparedness.
The CDC's website provides information on heart disease, risk factors, and prevention. |
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National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
1-301-496-4000
NIHinfo@od.nih.gov
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Helping to lead the way toward important medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives, NIH scientists investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases. Click here to visit the institute's section on heart disease.
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And be sure to watch VPT & You on-air updates, airing throughout
our program schedule.
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