Every 34 seconds, someone suffers a heart attack.

My father was 40 when he suffered his. He was alone at work when he felt tightness in his chest and pain down his arm. He drove himself to the hospital and my mother, brothers and I met him there. We watched the moment his heart attack occurred on the table in the ER.

Historically and even to this day, my father isn't a big fan of doctors but God sure was good to us that day and in the years that followed. He's undergone and recovered from a triple bypass and continues to suffer from heart disease related ailments.

Last year, my genomes were mapped from 23andme.com and I discovered the unsettling truth that my risk of coronary heart disease is increased by almost 40%. Additionally, my chances of suffering from atrial fibrillation is increased by almost 23%.

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The information is sobering and even more is the fact that more women than men die of heart disease each year. Heart attack symptoms in women are much different that those experienced by men and it's important for women to know them.

-Women are more likely to have neck, jaw, throat, abdomen or back pain
-Women are more likely to experience symptoms while resting or sleeping
-Women may attribute their symptoms to acid reflux or even the flu

According to guidelines provided by heart.org, women can significantly decrease their chances of having a heart attack with just a few simple preventative measures:

-Schedule an appointment with their health care provider to determine their risk
-Quit Smoking
-Exercise
-Eat Healthy

Take care of yourself. A lot of people want and need you around.

 

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