THE HEART TRUTH
Welcome!
What is motivating YOU to learn more
about heart disease and stroke?
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Today’s presentation
• The Heart Truth
• What are heart disease and stroke?
• What are the warning signs?
• What are women’s risk factors?
• How can you reduce your risks?
• How to talk to your doctor
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The Heart and Stroke Foundation
• Research
• Healthy living promotion
• Advocacy
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The Heart Truth campaign
• Developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to:
- Raise awareness
- Encourage healthy lifestyle choices
- Help women share the truth with others
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Why The Heart Truth?
• Heart disease and stroke
- NOT just a “man’s disease”
- Is a leading cause of death for women in Canada
- Kills seven times more women than breast cancer
BUT…many heart attacks and strokes can
be prevented through lifestyle changes.
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What is heart disease?
• Damage to the heart
• Most common type is coronary artery disease
- angina caused by reduced blood supply and oxygen to the
heart
- heart attack caused by reduction or stoppage of blood
supply/oxygen
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Do you know the warning signs of a heart attack?
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Heart attack—warning signs
• Chest discomfort - uncomfortable chest pressure,
squeezing, fullness or pain, burning or heaviness
• Discomfort in other areas - upper body: neck, jaw,
shoulder, arms and back
• Shortness of breath - difficulty breathing
• Nausea - indigestion, vomiting
• Sweating - cool, clammy skin
• Light-headedness
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What is stroke?
• Damage to a part of the brain
- Four out of five strokes are caused by reduced or stopped blood
flow
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Do you know the warning signs of a stroke?
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Stroke—warning signs
• Weakness - Sudden loss of strength or sudden
numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary
• Trouble speaking - Sudden difficulty speaking or
understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary
• Vision problems - Sudden trouble with vision, even if
temporary
• Headache - Sudden severe and unusual headache
• Dizziness - Sudden loss of balance, especially with
any of the above signs
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Risk factors
Heart disease and stroke share many risk factors.
RISKS YOU CAN’T CONTROL INCLUDE:
- Family history
- Ethnicity
- Gender
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Controllable risk factors
Heart disease and stroke share many risk factors:
RISKS YOU CAN CONTROL INCLUDE:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Inactivity
- Stress
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
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Risk factors—smoking
• doubles the risk of stroke
• reduces blood oxygen
• blocks arteries
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Risk factors—smoking
• doubles the risk of stroke
• reduces blood oxygen
• blocks arteries
One in four
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Risk factors—obesity
Obesity can lead to:
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
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Risk factors—obesity
Obesity can lead to:
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• Diabetes
More than 50 per cent
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Risk factors—diabetes
• Three to seven times the risk of heart disease four out of five people with diabetes die of heart
disease
• High risk of stroke
• Greater risk for women than men
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Risk factors—diabetes
• Three to seven times the risk of heart disease four out of five people with diabetes die of heart disease
• High risk of stroke
• Greater risk for women than men
Two million have diabetes
One million have diabetes and don’t know it
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Risk factors—high blood pressure
• Leading cause of stroke
• Increases heart disease risk up to four times
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Risk factors—high blood pressure
• Leading cause of stroke
• Increases heart disease risk up to four times
One in five
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Risk factors—high cholesterol
• Increases risk of
- narrowed arteries
- blood clots
• Invisible - no symptoms
• Can indicate high triglycerides
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Risk factors—inactivity
• Increases heart disease risk twofold
• Increasing activity levels reduces risk
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Risk factors—inactivity
• Increases heart disease risk twofold
• Increasing activity levels reduces risk
Close to 50 per cent of Canadian women over
age 12 are inactive
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Risk factors—stress
• May indicate higher cholesterol and blood
pressure levels
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Women’s unique health issues
• What kinds of additional risks do you think women
may have for heart disease and stroke?
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Women’s unique health issues
• Menopause
• Cholesterol/triglycerides
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Pregnancy
• Oral contraceptives
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Taking action
Women are:
- juggling multiple priorities
- more likely to ignore symptoms of a heart attack
or stroke
- less likely to receive the same medical treatment
as men
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Taking action
What stops women from taking action to reduce their
risks?
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Taking action
What do you do to maintain your heart health?
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Suggested steps
• Eat seven to eight servings of vegetables and fruit
per day
• Quit smoking - avoid second hand smoke
• Get a minimum of 3 sessions of weight-bearing
exercise plus 150 minutes of moderate to vigorousintensity aerobic activity each week
• Limit consumption of saturated and trans fats
• Limit consumption of sodium to one teaspoon per day
• Talk to your doctor
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Taking action—talking to your doctor
• MAKE THE TIME
• Do it BEFORE you experience symptoms
• Make a list of questions to ask (see handout)
• Write down what your doctor says
• Discuss genetic AND lifestyle factors
• Ask your doctor what tests you need
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Make a commitment to your heart health!
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Make a commitment to your heart health!
thehearttruth.ca
facebook.com/thehearttruth
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Share the truth
The Heart Truth helps you share the truth with:
• Interactive website: thehearttruth.ca
• The Heart Truth Presentation Kit (like this one!)
• The Heart Truth Viewing Party Kit
• The Heart Truth Fashion Show Kit
• Red Dress pin
• Fundraising
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SHARING THE TRUTH BRAINSTORM
•Who could YOU share with?
•What are YOUR networks?
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You have the power!
• Heart disease and stroke prevention are up to you!
• It’s time to make your heart health a priority!
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Questions?
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