President George W. Bush signed a proclamation this month declaring February American Heart Month.
Presidents have been signing the proclamation every year since 1963. The purpose of it is to make Americans aware of the dangers of heart-related problems and to show how to avoid these problems.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America, although many Americans, especially women, remain unaware of the dangers, said Tina Bancroft, vice president of field services for the American Heart Association in Mississippi.
“There are more women dying from heart disease than from any other condition,” Bancroft said. “Most people think that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women, but it’s not.”
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America. Stroke, which is related to cardiovascular conditions, follows as the third deadliest, said Casey Wilson, health education graduate assistant at the Longest Student Health Center.
Heart disease is not actually a disease, but a condition that is the product of hypertension, which means high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Hypertension is more likely to be found in African-Americans and those with parents who have high blood pressure. Hypertension can also be caused by a high salt intake, a high alcohol intake, smoking and obesity, Wilson said.
High cholesterol is strictly caused by a diet high in unsaturated fats, also known as animal fats, which leads to plaque build-up on the walls of the arteries and restriction of blood flow.
Diagnosis of heart disease is difficult, especially in its early stages. The conditions have no warning signs, Wilson said. The best way to avoid the risk of heart disease is to maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, Wilson said.
High cholesterol can be prevented by maintaining a healthy diet. Hypertension can be improved with exercise.
Wilson recommended aerobic exercise for a minimum of three times a week for an hour as a preventative measure.
He said any type of physical activity, such as walking to class instead of driving, using the stairs instead of the elevator and participating in aerobic sports like basketball, running or swimming, can help.
“Sedentary people are at a 35 percent greater risk of heart-related problems and heart disease than athletes,” Wilson said.
Because heart disease is not normally discovered until it is too advanced to correct, Wilson said everyone should be aware of its effects and begin taking preventative measures.
“If you don’t eat foods high in animal fats (unsaturated fats), then plaque will not build up in your arteries and can’t cause a stroke,” Wilson said.
The health center and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority will co-sponsor an American Heart Month informational table in The Colvard Union Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.