Stroke is the third leading cause of death for Indiana women, yet many of us do not understand or know much about one of the leading causes of strokes, atrial fibrillation or afib. In the United States, up to 2.66 million people are affected by the condition, which is an irregular heartbeat that can lead to serious complications such as dementia, heart failure, stroke or even death. When afib occurs the electrical activity of the heart is disorganized, disrupting the flow of blood through the heart. Over time, research has shown that afib changes the size and shape of the heart, producing scarring and altering the heart's electrical system. Afib increases one's risk of ischemic stroke by five times.  It may come as a surprise to most that people over age 40 have a one in four chance of developing afib in their lifetime.

Not all people with afib will have symptoms of the condition, but some common sensations include palpitations, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat or chest pain. People are more at risk if they have a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, heart failure, heart disease, or are of an advanced age. Healthcare professionals may treat the condition with blood thinning medication, to help prevent stroke, medications to control the rhythm and rate of the heart, surgery and lifestyle changes. Afib treatment cost in 2005 is estimated at $6.65 billion, including the cost of hospitalization, in- and outpatient physician care, and medications.

This month, you can help raise awareness by forwarding a link to someone you know who could have the condition. Visit:

Heart disease continues to be the No. 1 leading cause of death for Indiana women. In 2010, 30.4% of Indiana females were considered overweight, based on body mass index, and 29.1% were considered obese (BRFSS, 2010). During a heart check up, your doctor takes a careful look at your "numbers," including your blood pressure, trigylceride levels, your "good" and "bad" cholesterol and more. You can go a long way towards reducing your risk for heart disease by knowing a few key facts about your numbers, and how to keep them in check. The American Heart Association recommends printing their chart on risk factors for heart disease and placing it somewhere it will remain visible to serve as a reminder of the healthy heart goals. The numbers chart is available at http://www.goredforwomen.org/know_your_numbers.aspx

One of the most beneficial steps you can take toward reducing your risk of heart disease is to start getting regular, moderate exercise, every day of the week for at least 30 minutes a day.

To help you get motivated to get your heart pumping, we asked the First Lady, Cheri Daniels, to offer some of her music choices for prolonging those daily walks/workouts. Here are just a few of her favorite high energy songs:

"Jump" - Pointer Sisters

"New Attitude" - Patty LaBelle

"Firework" - Katy Perry

"Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5

"Alright" - Darius Rucker

"A Little Less Conversation" - Elvis Presley

"Billie Jean/Poison" - Straight No Chaser

 “I Gotta Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas

Inform yourself and your loved ones about heart disease risk factors and how to maintain good cardiovascular health. Fact Sheets, Signs & Symptoms, and Risk Factor information can be found at http://www.in.gov/isdh/24970.htm. To learn more about the First Lady's heart initiatives, visit: http://www.in.gov/gov/firstlady/2331.htm

February 13: Christian Theologic Seminary's Learn More About Social Security Benefits, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Call 317-931-2303 to find out more.

February 17: AHA Go Red For Women Luncheon, JW Marriott Downtown Indianapolis, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Sponsored by St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana. For tickets, call 317-732-4700.

February 18: AHA Go Red For Women Casting Call, Macy's Castleton Square Mall, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Go Red for Women is searching for women to tell their heart stories and the heart-healthy choices they make. For information, call 317-873-3640.

February 18: Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Pink Tie Ball & Silent Auction Gala, Scottish Rite Cathedral, Individual tickets $150, call 1-317-638-2873 to register.

February 21: Indiana Public Health Training Center's February Cafe event: 10 Tricks to Improve Your Training; 8 a.m., Presenter: Kate Johnson, MA.

February 23: "Love Your Heart" Cooking Demonstration, free, sponsored by Community Heart and Vascular. An evening of heart-healthy food samples, discussions of heart disease, door prizes and more. The Indiana Heart Center, main lobby, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Call 1-800-777-7775 to register.

March 1: Indiana Commission for Women's Torchbearer Awards, Indiana Government Center Auditorium, Registration at 3:30 p.m. and program starting at 4:00 p.m. To register or for more information, email to: icw@dwd.in.gov

To mark 2012's Black History Month, we offer the story of a woman who unwittingly impacted modern medicine and cancer research. Henrietta Lacks, mother of five children, was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the cervix not long after giving birth to her fifth child. Tissue samples of her tumor were taken from her without her consent (a common practice at the time, in the 1950's) by her physician and sent to a scientist working to develop a cell able to grow and replicate indefinitely. While normal cells typically die within a few days of donation, it was soon discovered that Henrietta's cells behaved differently and could survive indefinitely. The physician named the cell line HeLa, to protect her identity, and the HeLa cells became a miracle boost to biomedical research and were shared for scientific purposes around the world, as they remained unaffected from being frozen or divided and distributed.  HeLa cells were instrumental in the development of the polio vaccine by Jonas Salk, three years after Henrietta's death. In the 60 years since, some 11,000 patents have involved HeLa cells. Henreitta's family was not aware of the cells' existence or use until scientists contacted them years later to request blood samples for genetic tracing.

***On March 9, 2012, the Indiana Public Health Cafe will be on "Public Health Ethics: A Study of Henrietta and Hela Cells," 8 a.m.