Healthy hearts are in the spotlight during National Heart Month in February, especially for women who are twice as likely to die from a heart attack than men. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. In 1995, about 45 percent of the deaths in Mississippi were due to cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, said Dr. Melissa Mixon, human nutrition specialist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. There are those factors that you can do nothing about like aging, gender and genetics, and then there are those that you can do something about like diet, exercise and general health issues. Prevention is the key to reducing incidents of heart disease and associated deaths, but for many people, preventing heart disease will require a change in lifestyles, Mixon said.
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart attacks.
Women who smoke have a much higher risk of death from heart disease. If a smoker kicks the habit, the heart disease risk will gradually decrease to the level of a nonsmoker. Physical inactivity proves to make a person twice as likely to have heart disease than an active person. Exercise is one way to decrease the likelihood of heart disease. Researchers now say that activity throughout the day is cumulative and has a positive effect.