Lansing, MI - In recognition of Heart Health Awareness Month and the American Heart Association’s Go Red™ for Women campaign, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) WISEWOMAN program and Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Unit are working together to raise awareness of this important health issue.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death of women in the United States and in Michigan, causing about one in five deaths in 2020. From 2019 to 2020, mortality rates due to heart disease increased nearly 2% among white non-Hispanic women, more than 8% among Hispanic women and nearly 10% among Black non-Hispanic women aged 25 and older nationwide. Although women are disproportionately impacted, heart disease can affect people of any age, gender, race and ethnicity.
Both the WISEWOMAN program and the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Unit work to identify and communicate risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other chronic conditions such as diabetes specifically through the work of the Michigan Million Hearts® Network. Million Hearts® 2022 is a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“It’s important for women and Michiganders to know their risk factors for heart disease,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Being aware of risk factors and also giving people tools they need to lead a healthier lifestyle will improve quality of life.”
Most heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases can be prevented with education and living a healthy lifestyle such as:
- Not smoking and avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Engaging in regular physical activity.
- Eating healthy.
- Managing blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Women should talk with their health care providers about their health including any risk factors they may have for cardiovascular disease. For information on risk factors as well as signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease, visit Go Red for Women.
For more information about the WISEWOMAN program call 844-446-8727. Locate an enrollment site for the WISEWOMAN program online.
For more information about the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Unit, visit Michigan.gov/CVH.