Get Heart Healthy for Black History Month

Black history month is not just a time to celebrate all the progress and wonderful achievements that have been made but it’s also an opportunity to raise awareness to some serious health issues that face the African American community.

Did you know that 49% of black woman ages 20 and up have some form of heart disease? And what’s scarier is that only 36% of those women know that they are at risk. Knowing the signs and causes of heart disease can make all the difference.

Adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes a low-sodium diet with lots of exercise. Just because you are young and have a fast metabolism doesn’t mean that you can’t fall victim to high-cholesterol. In fact, African American women are 40% more likely to experience early-onset high cholesterol than Caucasians and Hispanics of the same age.

Learning the signs of a stroke is key not just for yourself but for the people around you. Signs of stroke include:
-Sudden headache seemingly out of nowhere
– Sudden blurry vision
– Loss of coordination and balance
– Sudden dizziness and or fatigue
– Sudden numbness in face or arms, especially on one specific side of the body
– Sudden trouble speaking or understanding information