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UNCLAS //N01400//
MARADMIN 055/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASH DC/M&RA//
SUBJ/FEBRUARY 2001 HEALTH PROMOTION MESSAGE//
POC/CATHERINE FICADENTI/NAF/MRS/MR/TEL:(703) 784-9542
/TEL:DSN 278-9542/TEL:FAX (703) 784-9822//
RMKS/1. IN CONJUCTION WITH THE NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION CENTER,
FY 2001 NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES, FEBRUARY'S HEALTH PROMOTION
MESSAGE ADDRESSES "HEART HEALTH." THE INTENT OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO
HIGHLIGHT RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HEART DISEASE AND THE ROLE A
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PLAYS IN PREVENTION.
2. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (TO INCLUDE CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND
STROKE) ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 950,000 DEATHS ANNUALLY. THAT TRANSLATES
INTO ONE CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH EVERY 33 SECONDS. THESE DISEASES, AS
A WHOLE, REPRESENT THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES
FOR MEN AND WOMEN. DURING FY 2000, 10 MARINES DIED OF A HEART
ATTACK/HEART ASSOCIATED CONDITION. A MAJORITY OF THOSE (80%)
OCCURRED DURING OR JUST FOLLOWING PHYSICAL TRAINING.
3. PHYSICAL FITNESS IS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
AND AT THE CORE OF THE MARINE'S CULTURE. HOWEVER, MARINES MUST BE
AWARE OF OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A HEALTHY CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM.
4. EXTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL FACTORS THAT INCREASE
THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND HEART ATTACK. SOME OF THEM CAN BE
MODIFIED, TREATED, OR CONTROLLED AND SOME CANNOT.
5. MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE THAT CANNOT BE MODIFIED:
A. INCREASING AGE - ABOUT FOUR OUT OF FIVE PEOPLE WHO DIE OF
CORONARY HEART DISEASE ARE AGE 65 OR OLDER. AT OLDER AGES, WOMEN
WHO HAVE HEART ATTACKS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN MEN ARE TO DIE FROM THEM
WITHIN A FEW WEEKS.
B. GENDER - MEN HAVE A GREATER RISK OF HEART ATTACK THAN WOMEN,
AND THEY HAVE ATTACKS EARLIER IN LIFE. HOWEVER, AFTER MENOPAUSE,
WOMEN'S DEATH RATE FROM HEART DISEASE DOES INCREASE.
C. HEREDITY (INCLUDING RACE) - CHILDREN OF PARENTS WITH HEART
DISEASE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP IT THEMSELVES. AFRICAN AMERICANS
HAVE MORE SEVERE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE THAN WHITES AND A HIGHER RISK
OF HEART DISEASE. HEART DISEASE RISK IS ALSO HIGHER AMONG MEXICAN
AMERICANS, AMERICAN INDIANS, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND SOME ASIAN
AMERICANS. THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO HIGHER RATES OF OBESITY AND
DIABETES. WHILE YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR AGE, GENDER, RACE, OR
FAMILY HISTORY, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO TREAT AND CONTROL ANY OTHER RISK
FACTORS YOU MAY HAVE.
6. YOU CAN MODIFY, TREAT, OR CONTROL MOST RISK FACTORS TO LOWER YOUR
RISK, BY FOCUSING ON YOUR LIFESTYLE HABITS OR, IF NEEDED, TAKING
MEDICINE.
A. TOBACCO SMOKE - SMOKERS' RISK OF HEART ATTACK IS MORE THAN
TWICE THAT OF NONSMOKERS. CIGARETTE SMOKING IS THE BIGGEST RISK
FACTOR FOR SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH; SMOKERS HAVE TWO TO FOUR TIMES THE
RISK OF NONSMOKERS. SMOKERS WHO HAVE A HEART ATTACK ARE MORE LIKELY
TO DIE AND DIE SUDDENLY (WITHIN AN HOUR) THAN ARE NONSMOKERS.
CIGARETTE SMOKING ALSO ACTS WITH OTHER RISK FACTORS TO GREATLY
INCREASE THE RISK FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE. PEOPLE WHO SMOKE
CIGARS OR PIPES SEEM TO HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF DEATH FROM CORONARY
HEART DISEASE, BUT THEIR RISK ISN'T AS GREAT AS CIGARETTE SMOKERS'.
CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO OTHER PEOPLE'S SMOKE - CALLED ENVIRONMENTAL
TOBACCO SMOKE, SECONDHAND SMOKE, OR PASSIVE SMOKING - INCREASES THE
RISK OF HEART DISEASE EVEN FOR NONSMOKERS.
B. HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL - THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE
RISES AS BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS INCREASE. WHEN OTHER RISK FACTORS
(SUCH AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND TOBACCO SMOKE) ARE PRESENT, THIS
RISK INCREASES EVEN MORE. STUDIES SHOW THAT THE RISK OF HEART
ATTACK WITH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL OF 240 MG/DL OR MORE IS TWICE THAT OF
A PERSON WHOSE CHOLESTEROL IS 200MG/DL.
C. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE INCREASES THE
HEART'S WORKLOAD, CAUSING THE HEART TO ENLARGE AND WEAKEN OVER TIME.
IT ALSO INCREASES THE RISK OF STROKE, HEART ATTACK, KIDNEY FAILURE,
AND CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE. BLOOD PRESSURE OF LESS THAN 140 OVER
90 IS CONSIDERED A NORMAL READING FOR ADULTS. CONVERSELY, A BLOOD
PRESSURE READING EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 140 (SYSTOLIC) OVER 90
(DIASTOLIC) IS CONSIDERED ELEVATED (HIGH). WHEN HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
EXISTS WITH OBESITY, SMOKING, HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS, OR
DIABETES, THE RISK OF HEART ATTACK OR STROKE INCREASES SEVERAL
TIMES.
D. PHYSICAL INACTIVITY - AN INACTIVE LIFESTYLE IS A RISK FACTOR
FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE. REGULAR, MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS EXERCISE
IS IMPORTANT IN PREVENTING HEART AND BLOOD VESSEL DISEASE. EVEN
MODERATE-INTENSITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES ARE BENEFICIAL IF DONE
REGULARLY AND LONG TERM. MORE VIGOROUS ACTIVITIES ARE ASSOCIATED
WITH MORE BENEFITS. EXERCISE CAN HELP CONTROL BLOOD CHOLESTEROL,
DIABETES, AND OBESITY, AS WELL AS HELP LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE IN SOME
PEOPLE.
E. OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT - PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXCESS BODY FAT -
ESPECIALLY IF A LOT OF IT IS IN THE WAIST AREA - ARE MORE LIKELY TO
DEVELOP HEART DISEASE AND STROKE EVEN IF THEY HAVE NO OTHER RISK
FACTORS. EXCESS WEIGHT INCREASES THE STRAIN ON THE HEART, RAISES
BLOOD PRESSURE, BLOOD CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS, AND
LOWERS HDL ("GOOD") CHOLESTEROL LEVELS. IT CAN ALSO MAKE DIABETES
MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP. MANY OBESE AND OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE HAVE
DIFFICULTY LOSING WEIGHT. BY LOSING 10 TO 20 POUNDS, YOU CAN HELP
LOWER YOUR HEART DISEASE RISK.
F. DIABETES MELLITUS - DIABETES SERIOUSLY INCREASES THE RISK OF
DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. EVEN WHEN GLUCOSE LEVELS ARE
UNDER CONTROL, DIABETES GREATLY INCREASES THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE
AND STROKE. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF PEOPLE WITH DIABETES DIE FROM SOME
FORM OF HEART OR BLOOD VESSEL DISEASE. IF YOU HAVE DIABETES, IT'S
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO WORK WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO MANAGE
YOUR DIABETES AND CONTROL ANY OTHER RISK FACTORS YOU CAN.
7. OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO HEART DISEASE RISK:
A. SCIENTISTS HAVE NOTED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORONARY HEART
DISEASE RISK AND STRESS IN A PERSON'S LIFE, THEIR HEALTH BEHAVIORS
AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. THESE FACTORS MAY AFFECT ESTABLISHED RISK
FACTORS. FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE UNDER STRESS MAY OVEREAT, START
SMOKING OR SMOKE MORE THAN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD.
B. BIRTH CONTROL PILLS - LOWER-DOSE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES CARRY A
RISK (ALBEIT LOW) OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. IF A WOMAN TAKING ORAL
CONTRACEPTIVES HAS OTHER RISK FACTORS (ESPECIALLY IF SHE SMOKES),
HER RISK OF DEVELOPING BLOOD CLOTS AND HAVING A HEART ATTACK GOES
UP. IT RISES EVEN MORE AFTER AGE 35. IF YOU TAKE BIRTH CONTROL
PILLS, GET YEARLY MEDICAL CHECK-UPS.
C. DRINKING TOO MUCH ALCOHOL CAN RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE, CAUSE
HEART FAILURE, AND LEAD TO STROKE. IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH
TRIGLYCERIDES, CANCER, AND OTHER DISEASES, AND PRODUCE IRREGULAR
HEARTBEATS. THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE IN PEOPLE WHO DRINK MODERATE
AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL (AN AVERAGE OF ONE DRINK FOR WOMEN OR TWO DRINKS
FOR MEN PER DAY) IS LOWER THAN IN NONDRINKERS. ONE DRINK IS DEFINED
AS 1.5 FLUID OUNCES (FL OZ) OF 80-PROOF SPIRITS (SUCH AS BOURBON,
SCOTCH, VODKA, GIN, ETC.), 1 FL OZ OF 100-PROOF SPIRITS, 4 FL OZ OF
WINE, OR 12 FL OZ OF BEER. IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED THAT NONDRINKERS
START USING ALCOHOL OR THAT DRINKERS INCREASE THEIR INTAKE.
8. CONTROLLING ONES RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE IS AN INDIVIDUAL
RESPONSIBILITY. TO ASSIST IN THIS ENDEAVOR, YOUR LOCAL SEMPER FIT
PROGRAM, AND MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY (MTF) CAN PROVIDE MARINES
WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO IDENTIFY/MODIFY AND CONTROL RISK FACTORS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LET NOT ANOTHER YEAR
PASS WITH THE LOSS OF MARINE LIVES TO A LARGELY CONTROLLABLE
DISEASE.//
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