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                 Doctors Say Most Heart Disease is Preventable

   by Carol Pearson

   Coronary heart disease is the number one killer, worldwide, of men and
   women over the age of 60.  But people of all ages succumb to heart
   attacks each year. And while death rates have declined in the U.S. and
   many western European countries, mortality is on the rise in the
   developing world.  Yet most heart disease is preventable.

   No one would have guessed that Barbara Teng would have a heart attack.
    She was not overweight.  She did not smoke.  But she also did not
   exercise.

   "In 2004, the week after I turned 49, when I was on a business trip in
   Chicago, I had a major heart attack," she said.

   And that changed her life. She now exercises daily, monitors her heart
   health, and speaks at events held by Sister to Sister, a heart health
   program for women. Susan Gurley, the organization's director, says the
   message is urgent.

   "Heart disease is 82 percent preventable and it is the leading cause of
   death for women," she said.

   It's also a leading cause of death for men. The World Health
   Organization reports that more people die each year from heart disease
   than from any other cause. WHO says more than 60 percent of deaths from
   cardiovascular disease take place in low and middle-income countries.
   It says the heart disease pandemic is on the rise.

   Dr. Patrice Desvigne-Nickens is with the National Heart, Lung and Blood
   Institute. She says the key to staying healthy is knowing your
   numbers.

   "Your weight, your blood cholesterol, blood sugar and your blood
   pressure are important numbers that can help you take action and reduce
   your risk," she said.

   She says a healthy lifestyle can prevent heart disease.

   "And the steps to take are simple: don't smoke, maintain a healthy
   weight, exercise, know your numbers and talk to your physician and
   control these risks," she said.

   African-Americans are at higher-than-average risk for heart disease and
   stroke, according to Dr. Michelle Magee.

   "There's a very high prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension and also
   unrecognized hypertension so people don't even know they have it, which
   increases the risk for heart disease and stroke," she said.

   In the nation's capital,  Medstar Washington Hospital Center is trying
   to reach this population - like at this opening of an outreach program
   at a Washington barber shop.  Neighborhood barbers develop
   relationships with their clients. With the right training, they can
   play an important role in community health....for example helping their
   clients monitor their blood pressure.

   These programs operate on the premise that if people realize they are
   at risk for heart disease, they'll make lifestyle changes: lose weight,
   exercise, eat the right foods and keep in touch with a doctor.
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   ventable/1616694.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/doctors-say-most-heart-disease-is-preventable/1616694.html