FEBRUARY 2015
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Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure
Ask U.S. women what they think is the leading cause of
death and they may say cancer. But the right answer is heart disease – which
kills more U.S. women than all forms of cancer combined.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for
men and women in the United States and is responsible for one of every four
deaths. Heart disease is the No. 2 cause of death in Alaska, with cancer causing
the most deaths here.
Every year in February, the Section of Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion highlights the importance of taking care of our
hearts by recognizing February as American
Heart Month. National
Wear Red Day® — the first Friday each February — is a special day to raise
awareness of the danger of heart disease in women. The Section and the Take Heart Alaska
coalition encourage everyone to wear red, know their cardiovascular risk and
take action to live longer, healthier lives. If you are in Anchorage or Fairbanks, you can also join your community at the American
Heart Association Go Red for Women
Conference and Luncheons. See “Upcoming Events” below for more details.
Since the early 1960s, annual deaths from
cardiovascular diseases have dropped by nearly 1 million per year nationwide —
and that’s while the nation’s population has grown by more than 129 million.
Alaska mirrors that national trend in declining deaths from heart disease and
stroke, but many more deaths could be prevented.
Risk factors for heart disease
Even though deaths are
declining, millions of Americans do not know they have risk factors linked to
heart disease and stroke, or they are not getting the right treatment. Nationally,
less than half of people with high blood pressure have their blood
pressure adequately controlled, and only one-third of people with high
cholesterol have adequately controlled their cholesterol levels.[1,2] Millions of people with uncontrolled high
blood pressure don’t know they have a health problem (40% of people with high
blood pressure or 14 million people), and millions more (45% or 16 million
people) are taking blood pressure medicines, but their pressures are still not
under control.[3] Improved control of high blood pressure will require
an increased focus on blood pressure from health care systems, clinicians, and
individuals.[4] It also will
require a focus on diet. Eating too much sodium is a major contributor to high
blood pressure
and most people consume too much sodium.[5]
Data on cardiovascular
disease risk factors in Alaska adults show that:
-
30% of Alaskans report having high blood pressure
-
35% of Alaskans
report having high cholesterol
-
23% of Alaskans
smoke
-
39% of Alaska
Natives smoke
-
36% of men ages
25-34 smoke
-
67% of Alaskans
are overweight or obese
-
20% of Alaskans
report being physically inactive
-
7.8% of Alaskans report having diabetes[6]
Preventing and controlling risk factors for heart
disease
While heart disease risk
begins to rise in middle age, heart disease develops over time and can start at
a young age, even in the teen years. It's never too early, or too late, to take
action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease.
People can make healthy changes to lower their risks of
developing heart disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also
important for people
who already have heart disease. To lower risk:
-
Maintain
a healthy weight.
-
Quit
smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.
-
If
you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation. The American Heart Association
recommends limiting your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day
for men and no more than one drink per day for women.
-
Get
moving and eat healthfully.
-
Manage
any medical condition you might have. Learn the ABCS of health. Keep them in
mind every day and especially when you talk to your health provider:
> Appropriate
Aspirin Therapy for those who need
it
> Blood Pressure Control
> Cholesterol Management
> Smoking Cessation
Partnering
to prevent and treat heart disease and stroke
The
Alaska
Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (HDSP) works with several
associations, programs, and agencies statewide to improve cardiovascular
health.
Take Heart
Alaska (THA) Cardiovascular Health Coalition
The Alaska HDSP Program
works with the Take
Heart Alaska Coalition (THA) to advocate for heart-healthy lifestyles,
improved access to preventive and treatment services, and evidence-based
practice in the health care community. THA is a partnership of agencies,
organizations, and individuals working to promote cardiovascular health,
prevent cardiovascular disease and improve cardiovascular care. The membership
includes participants from state and local governments, private businesses, the
medical community, non-profit organizations, schools, and individual community
members.
You can access free resources on the Take Heart
Alaska web page or by contacting the HDSP program at 907-465-8670 or heart@alaska.gov.
References
-
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
Vital signs: Awareness
and treatment of uncontrolled hypertension among adults-United
States, 2003-2010. MMWR 2012;61(35):703-709.
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vital signs: Prevalence, treatment and control of high levels
of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-United States, 1999-2002
and 2005-2008. MMWR
2011;60(4):109-112.
-
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Vital signs: Awareness and treatment
of uncontrolled hypertension among adults-United States, 2003-2010. MMWR 2012;61(35): 703-709.
-
Ibid.
-
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention CDC). Usual sodium intakes compared with current dietary guidelines–United States, 2005-2008. MMWR 2011;60(41):1413-1417.
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2011.
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