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TO ALL OF OUR FEMALE COUNTERPARTS WHO WORK IN LONGTERM CARE:
Did you know that women in the United States are experiencing unacceptable and avoidable heart-related illness and death, and nearly half of U.S. women do not recognize that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women?
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/american_heart_month.htm
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, most commonly affecting blood flow to the heart. It is caused by the buildup of fatty or cholesterol deposits, (plaque) on the inside of arteries, which narrow walls of arteries and decrease blood flow (“hardening of the arteries” or atherosclerosis). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US, accounting for 928,741 deaths in 2020. Total costs associated were $40.3 billion ($251.4 billion direct costs, $155.9 billion in lost productivity/mortality (AHA, 023)
Did you know that we can manage and/or prevent cardiovascular disease through healthy lifestyle?
Here are tips regarding healthy eating:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet)
Consuming too much red and processed meat, refined grains, added
sugar, high in saturated fat, ultra processed foods, high sodium and
cholesterol
Why is “SAD” so BAD? And how does it affect CVD?
• Too much LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in your bloodstream forms plaque on
damaged artery walls.
• Too little HDL (“good”) cholesterol and High triglycerides contribute to
hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Eating any “trans-fat” To limit trans-fat in your diet, avoid eating:
• Fast food
• Fried food
• Commercial baked goods, such as cookies, doughnuts and pastries
• High Sodium: raises blood pressure
• High Cholesterol: creates fatty deposits on artery walls
• Eating Too much sugar (added, refined) can cause overweightness,
Diabetes, metabolic disorder
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