February is American Heart Month. It is the 57th consecutive year for that recognition. It provides a reminder learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart. Heart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages.
Those include high rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35–64) putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life.
Nearly half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Yet even without those conditions heart attacks can occur. A Heart Disease Survivor Marlene Schuelke talks about how she felt something was not right.
With training in a health career she knew of the benefits of taking a low dose aspirin but it took her time to get to the next step.
Schuelke’s ER tests were normal but the er Dr sent her to her provider the next day and she was referred to a specialist at Sanfordin Sioux Falls. After a series of tests, a further test was needed but Marlene delayed that due to family obligations.
Heart Disease gives indicators that something is wrong. Schuelke said looking back the signs were there.
You can listen to the entire interview with Marlene Schuelke on the Well one Connection podcast. Go to http://performance-radio.com at the top of the page click on Podcasts and select Well One Connection.