Women asked to wear red Friday

For The Transcript

February 05, 2009 01:06 am

— February is American Heart Month and women across the nation will wear red Friday to alert citizens about the risk of heart disease.
"Take personal responsibility and know your risk," said Chris Morriss, chairperson of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women.
The Commission urges women to talk with their heath care provider about their risk factors and what test and actions one can do to lower their risk.
Here are some heart disease facts provided by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
· Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in Oklahoma
· In 2006, 4,800 Oklahoma women died of heart disease
· Every day 13 Oklahoma women die of heart disease
· Every day 68 Oklahoma women are discharged from an Oklahoma hospital with heart disease
· For every Oklahoma woman that dies of breast cancer 10 women die from heart disease
· Only about 55 percent of woman know that heart disease is the leading killer and disabler of women
· Eighty percent of women in their mid lives, ages 35-60, have one or more risk factors of heart disease
· Many women do not realize their risks for heart disease.
It is based on the number of risk factors the woman has. One risk factor increases your risk of heart disease twofold. This is called the "multiplier effect." Having two risk factors increases your chance by fourfold and having three or more increases your chance by tenfold.

Don't ignore symptoms
Risk factors for heart disease that you can change include controlling high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes, stop smoking, reducing your weight if obese or over weight by 7 percent of your current body weight and being physically active.
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack for woman can be different than for men and are usually reported as indigestion or gas-like pain, nausea, unexplained dizziness, weakness, fatigue, discomfort or pain between the shoulder blades and recurring chest discomfort.