February is American Heart Month.  McLeod Dillon Cardiac Rehabilitation employees and patients celebrate the energy, passion and power we have to band together and wipe out heart disease as well as bring awareness to the fact that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.  
Female participants in the McLeod Dillon Cardiac Rehabilitation program remembered the shortness of breath, fatigue, and terrible heartburn felt in the months leading up to a heart attack.
Heart disease and stroke affects all of us.  Diseases of the heart are the country’s No. 1 cause of death; stroke is No. 3.  Together these cardiovascular diseases kill more than 930,000 Americans each year.  As a matter of fact, every 34 seconds someone dies from CVD and every 3.4 minutes someone dies from a stroke.  One out of two citizens in our area dies from cardiovascular disease.  
“Heart disease and stroke claim more women’s lives each year than the next five leading causes of death combined,” said Abby Lambert, RN, Supervisor of the McLeod Dillon Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. “In many cases, these diseases can be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices.”
According to a Drexel University Study, the number of women hospitalized for heart failure increase 55 percent annually, compared to 20 percent annually for men.
Follow these tips to reduce your risk for heart disease:
-Maintain a Healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)
-Lower Cholesterol
-Reduce High Blood Pressure
– Stop Smoking
– Get Physically Active
-Achieve Recommended Weight
-Prevent or Control Diabetes
–  Lower Stress Levels
To learn more, visit the American Heart Association’s website at www.heart.org.