Women Managing Heart Disease: Video

“Women Managing Heart Disease” is a thirty-minute health education program based on the real experience of three women and their families that introduces women and their family members to the basic principles of self-management of heart disease.

Whether you have had a heart attack or not, this program is for you. More women die of heart disease and diabetes every year than from any other disease. Most of us increase our risk of heart disease by smoking, eating too much of the wrong foods, exercising too little, and becoming overweight. Research shows that these behaviors not only cause heart disease and Type II diabetes, but also the majority of deaths in the U.S. The good news is that they are all within anyone’s ability to change.

In “Women Managing Heart Disease, you will meet women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who decided to change life-long habits that place them at risk of a premature death from heart disease and diabetes. They are learning how to identify and set goals to improve their lifestyles. To reduce weight, they are changing the way they eat and getting more exercise. To keep blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin at healthy levels, they are taking prescribed medications and consulting their physicians at regular intervals. Their message is simple. You can dramatically lower, even eliminate your risk of a heart attack by making a genuine commitment to active self-management for heart health.

“Women Managing Heart Disease” also has an important message for other family members. They can play a critical role supporting behavioral changes that can be so difficult for an individual to accomplish on her own. Buying and preparing heart healthy foods, encouraging smoking cessation and exercising with a spouse are just a few of the ways to support a loved-one in the self-management of heart disease and diabetes.