Risk Factors

Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes, and approximately 376,000 Kentuckians have diabetes. Another 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes increases a person's risk for developing cardiovascular disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, heart disease strikes people with diabetes twice as often as people without diabetes. Also, people with diabetes are two to four times more likely to suffer strokes and then subsequently have reccurrences of a stroke.

Every year, nearly one million individuals in the United States suffer a heart attack. That number can be reduced if individuals recognize the symptoms and take steps to lower their risk factors for a heart attack. Following are some of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease: n Increasing age. Nearly four out of five people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years of age or older. n Gender. Men have a greater risk of heart attack and have attacks earlier in life.

Each year, 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks. For one-third of these people, their first and only warning sign is sudden death. The two-thirds who survive may experience congestive heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and the emotional burden of being diagnosed with heart disease. By addressing risk factors and recognizing symptoms right away, you can help lower your chance of developing or dying from a heart attack. Heart attacks occur when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.

Did you know that lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon, and pancreas cancers combined? It is important to know what steps to take to help prevent lung cancer. Lung cancer is abnormal cell growth in one or both of the lungs. There are two different types of lung cancer; small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancer. "Non-small-cell lung cancer is the more common type, accounting for about 80 percent of lung cancer; this type grows and spreads more slowly.

Each year, one of every three adults age 65 and older experiences a fall. Falls are the leading cause of injury or death for this population. The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than for men. Two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within six months. Twenty to 30 percent of those who fall will suffer injuries such as lacerations, fractures, or head trauma. The risk of being seriously injured from a fall increases with age. The most common fractures are of the hip, spine, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm and hand.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Individuals can reduce their risks of developing heart disease by paying attention to their cholesterol level. Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is offering free cholesterol screenings 8:30-10:30 a.m. Feb. 14 at MedSource, 326 W. Walnut St. in Danville. Appointments are not necessary. Cholesterol is a substance that your body needs in small amounts to build cell walls and make certain hormones.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Individuals can reduce their risks of developing heart disease by paying attention to their cholesterol level. Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital is offering free cholesterol screenings on Friday, April 18 from 8 to 10 a.m. in the lobby. Appointments are not necessary, but 12-hour fasting is recommended. Cholesterol is a substance that your body needs in small amounts to build cell walls and make certain hormones.

What can we do to reduce the risk or heart disease? Coronary heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three killers of Americans. One reason for this is lack of dedication to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your lifestyle is not only your best defense against heart disease and stroke, it's also your duty. According to the American Heart Association, by following these three simple steps you can reduce all of the modifiable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke (www.

Diabetes Alert Day is a special day set aside nationally for us all to think about diabetes. Diabetes can affect us as individuals, as a family member, and as a community. Rarely do you come across a person that has not been affected by diabetes in some way. There are approximately 20.8 million Americans living with diabetes, a third of those individuals are not even aware that they have diabetes. In Kentucky we have over 395,000 people affected by diabetes - that is almost 13 percent of our adult population, and again, approximately one-third of those individuals are not aware that they have diabetes.

February is the month devoted to matters of the heart, so it's a great time to consider the health of this vital organ. Heart disease once was mostly associated with men, but today it is the No. 1 killer of women, accounting for half a million deaths a year. Like most illnesses, we never think it's going to happen to us. Imagine my shock when I phoned my sister-in-law to rave about a great pimento cheese she gave out at Christmas when she stopped to say, “You don't know, do you?

Every year, nearly one million individuals in the United States suffer a heart attack. That number can be reduced if individuals recognize the symptoms and take steps to lower their risk factors for a heart attack. Following are some of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease: n Increasing age. Nearly four out of five people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years of age or older. n Gender. Men have a greater risk of heart attack and have attacks earlier in life.

Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing approximately half a million American women each year? Information about how deadly heart disease is has been available for a great many years, but the general population has just recently become more aware of the dangers. For most women, it is difficult to imagine that they are anything less than healthy, choosing to take care of others over themselves. This is one of the reasons that the American Heart Association began the campaign called Go Red for Women nearly nine years ago. The statistics do not lie. More women die of heart disease each year than of any kind of cancer.

This February, join thousands of people across the country that will come together to wear red for “Go Red Day for Women.” This campaign is in support of women’s health, to bring awareness to heart disease among women. Many Americans are not aware that an increasing number of women are dying from this deadly disease every year. According to the American Heart Association, one-in-three women will die from heart disease.   It comes as no surprise that this is the number one cause of death for women in the United States.

Each year, one of every three adults age 65 and older experiences a fall. Falls are the leading cause of injury or death for this population. The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than for men. Two-thirds of those who fall will fall again within six months. Twenty to 30 percent of those who fall will suffer injuries such as lacerations, fractures, or head trauma. The risk of being seriously injured from a fall increases with age. The most common fractures are of the hip, spine, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm and hand.

This February, join thousands of people across the country who will come together to wear red for "Go Red Day. " This campaign is in support of women's health to bring awareness to women's heart disease. Many Americans are not aware of the increasing number of women who are dying from this deadly disease every year. According to the American Heart Association, one out of three women will die from heart disease. It comes as no surprise that this is the number one leading cause of death for women in the United States.

Did you know that lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon, and pancreas cancers combined? It is important to know what steps to take to help prevent lung cancer. Lung cancer is abnormal cell growth in one or both of the lungs. There are two different types of lung cancer; small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancer. "Non-small-cell lung cancer is the more common type, accounting for about 80 percent of lung cancer; this type grows and spreads more slowly.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Individuals can reduce their risks of developing heart disease by paying attention to their cholesterol level. Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital is offering free cholesterol screenings on Friday, April 18 from 8 to 10 a.m. in the lobby. Appointments are not necessary, but 12-hour fasting is recommended. Cholesterol is a substance that your body needs in small amounts to build cell walls and make certain hormones.

Diabetes Alert Day is a special day set aside nationally for us all to think about diabetes. Diabetes can affect us as individuals, as a family member, and as a community. Rarely do you come across a person that has not been affected by diabetes in some way. There are approximately 20.8 million Americans living with diabetes, a third of those individuals are not even aware that they have diabetes. In Kentucky we have over 395,000 people affected by diabetes - that is almost 13 percent of our adult population, and again, approximately one-third of those individuals are not aware that they have diabetes.