Give the Gift of Heart Health this Mother’s Day

ARA - Are you unsure of what to give your mom for Mother’s Day this year? She probably doesn’t need another sweater, and chocolates won’t do her waistline any good. Why not give her the invaluable gifts of heart health and empowerment?

Heart disease is the number one killer of women, claiming the life of one in four women. That is more than all types of cancers combined. Surprisingly, studies show that only one third of women realize they are at risk for heart disease. Chances are your mother may be one of these women who is unaware.

The Sister to Sister Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing heart disease in women, expects to screen a record 15,000 women for heart disease this year. Since 2001, they have screened 77,000 and have found that 80 percent of women who have been screened by the organization did not know about their increased risk for heart disease before attending a screening event. More than 50 percent learned that they have two or more risk factors and over 70 percent report seeing their doctor as a follow up to their screening.

“Don’t let your mother be blindsided by heart disease like many women are,” says Irene Pollin, founder and president of the Sister to Sister Foundation. “Make sure she gets screened, and empower her to know the right questions to ask her doctor. Mothers are the hearts of our families; we need to keep them strong and healthy!”

It is a common misconception among women that heart disease only affects men so they often ignore it and don’t recognize it as a serious health threat. However, more women die from heart disease each year than men. Risk factors for heart disease in women include unhealthy cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking and being overweight. To further gauge your risk of heart disease it is important to know all of your numbers, including HDL “good” cholesterol (greater than 50 mg/dL for women), LDL “bad” cholesterol (less than 100 mg/dL), as well as triglycerides (less than 150 mg/dL), blood pressure and glucose. These risk factors are all measured during routine heart disease screenings.

Here are some other ways to support your mom this Mother’s Day:

1. Help her schedule doctor’s appointments and accompany her to appointments if she feels anxious.

2. Pick up her prescriptions from the pharmacy.

3. Search the Web and send her reputable information on heart health.

4. Choose heart-healthy gifts, such as a cookbook of recipes for healthful dishes.

5. Commit to exercise with her. Walk, work out, swim or dance with her –whatever activity you both enjoy. It will be good for both your hearts and give you more time to enjoy each other’s company.

For valuable information on heart disease screenings and how to lower your risk visit http://www.SisterToSister.org

Courtesy of ARAcontent