Do you know the signs of a heart attack? It is national heart health month and a new study revealed that only one in four Americans know the signs of a heart attack. When a heart attack strikes, time is of the essence. The earlier the response the better the chances of survival. Take heart and take this quiz! The answers could help you save a life.
February is American Heart Month, and our friends at Diet Coke want you to join them in raising awareness of women's heart disease.
The Heart Truth™ — a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease — introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness. This year, Diet Coke is teaming up with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to raise awareness of this important issue. And from now until March 10, just visit MyCokeRewards and you can enter for a chance to win the red dress designed for Heidi Klum to wear at the 2008 Oscars! For every sweepstakes entry, Diet Coke will contribute $1 to support women’s heart health awareness and research, up to $250,000*.
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Although most women mistakenly believe that cancer is the biggest threat to their lives, heart disease is actually the leading cause of death among women in the US. 
While lack of exercise, obesity, high cholesterol and smoking are all predictable causes of heart disease, stress and anxiety are also culprits. Recent research suggests that the complicated physiological reactions to stress, including rises in blood pressure, affect your heart health. While there are many stress creating elements, like job strain, social isolation, personality traits, even anxiety producing phobias, more and more evidence suggests a relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease and elevated stress. Although more research needs to be done on the complicated relationship between the stress, anxiety, emotions and heart health, many cardiac health experts recommend stress reduction as a preventive measure.
If you are a stress case, there are both short term and long term health benefits to figuring out how to lower your stress level. Don't reach for a smoke or fatty comfort food (both are not good for your heart health) when times are stressful or emotionally rough. Talk to a friend, exercise, get enough sleep, or get a relaxing massage, to help relieve your stress. Taking a couple of deep breaths is a simple and cheap remedy; after all air is free.
What is your healthy stress relief? Tell me in the comments section below.
Being that February is heart health month, I thought I would tell you that the American Heart Association is urging more people to be trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It seems that not many Americans are trained in the potentially life saving treatment.
It is estimated that only 15 to 30 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive CPR from a bystander before emergency medical services personnel arrive on the scene. CPR is crucial for a heart attack victim's survival because with every minute without CPR the chances of making it through the episode of cardiac arrest fall by up to 10 percent.
Those statistics motivate me to get re-certified in CPR, how about you? Are you certified in CPR? Have you ever performed CPR in an emergency? If so, share the details in the comments section below.
popsugar poll
Do You Know CPR?
How well do you know your heart? Let's take a look and see. Here's a short quiz to see if you know what is really going on with your heart.
This year's Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 2008 Fashion Show had some big stars show up in support of Heart Health Month. From Heidi Klum to Molly Sims to Liza Minnelli, the ladies were looking radiant in their red dresses — minus Laura Bush who apparently didn't get the memo and wore white (wtf?). To see more pics of the celebs including Heidi Klum, Sara Ramirez, Molly Sims, Jenna Fischer and more supporting awareness of Heart Disease just read more
Discover the power of eating heart-healthy red foods during the first-ever National Eat Red Week, Feb. 4-10, 2008 in support of Heart Health Month.
Why? Well, studies from the University of Michigan suggest that the pigments that produce the red color in many fruits and vegetables like fresh cherries and tomatoes, are actually powerful disease-fighting antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation associated with atherosclerosis — hardening of the arteries — and reduce certain risk factors for heart disease.
To learn more and to donate $1 to the American Heart Rate Association by simply clicking a button (no cost to you) visit Choosecherries.com.
Have you eaten any red foods today? I am curious so tell me in the comments section below.
Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer among women? If you did, congrats but there are a lot of folks out there who are unaware. So let's help get the word out.
Feb. 1 is National Wear Red Day. Celebrate the kickoff to American Heart Month with National Wear Red Day tomorrow by wearing red in support of women’s heart disease awareness. This observance promotes the Red Dress symbol that reminds us that women suffer from heart disease. Plus it provides an opportunity for everyone to promote the awareness movement by showing off something red of their own.
