Strong Heart. Smart Heart.

The statistics are sobering. African American women are 35% more likely to die of heart disease than Caucasian women.

Obesity, high cholesterol, poverty, language barriers, physical inactivity, and lack of information all contribute to increased risk factors for women of color.

Dr. Jennifer Mieres is the Director of Nuclear Cardiology at the New York School of Medicine. She is co-author of the book Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas.

Dr. Mieres advises minority women to begin thinking about their family risk factors for heart disease, including their genetic predisposition, in their 20s. And if there is a strong family history of high cholesterol, blood pressure or diabetes in the family, Dr. Mieres suggests making heart health a family affair. Talk to your pediatricians and family doctors about your family's heart health history. The doctor may recommend doing a baseline blood pressure and cholesterol screening on the younger  members of the family.

Aside from family history,which we may not be able to control, Dr. Mieres says we can all work toward making heart-smart changes that can dramatically lower a our risk for heart disease.
The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk for heart disease is to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes. A heart-healthy lifestyle includes the following:

• Do not skip meals; Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
• Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
• Broil and bake foods; don't fry. Eat 2 servings of fish per week
• Be active every day: walk, jog, or dance at least 10 minutes every day
• Find heart healthy substitutions for your traditional favorites
• Remove the salt shaker; use spices and herbs for traditional flavors
• Limit alcohol
• Manage diabetes
• Maintain a healthy weight
• No smoking

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New International Version)