Jason
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women? To prevent heart disease and increase awareness of its effects, Coborn’s is proudly participating in American Heart Month.
- This month we had ‘Wellness Wednesday’ events co-hosted by our pharmacists and dietitians
- We also had PharmaSmart blood pressure machine hosted demo and enrollment expos at select locations
- Patients are able to visit our pharmacies any time this month for free blood pressure checks, immunization screening (most with heart disease need flu and pneumonia vaccines), and resources from dietitians.
You can make healthy changes to lower your risk of developing heart disease. Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have heart disease. To lower your risk:
- Watch your weight, many of our locations have dietitian services to help you make healthy choices.
- Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke, talk to any of our pharmacists if you are interested in quitting smoking.
- Control your cholesterol and blood pressure, check your blood pressure for free at any of our pharmacies.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Get active and eat healthy.
February 1st was national Go Red for Women Day, Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. This may be surprising, but heart disease is actually the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute! Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms. Because these symptoms vary greatly between men and women, they’re often misunderstood. Media has conditioned us to believe that the telltale sign of a heart attack is extreme chest pain. But in reality, women are somewhat more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. Other symptoms women should look out for are dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen and extreme fatigue.
To learn more about heart disease visit the American Heart Association’s Website or talk to your local Pharmacist to see how we might be able to help you lower your risk for Heart Disease.
Jason,
Pharmacy Clinical Program Manager
