Lou Henry Hoover
(1874-1944)

LINKS ON THIS PAGE
Background
Selected Achievements
Heart Disease and Leading Causes of Death
Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease
Related Links

Background

Born in 1874 in Iowa, Lou Henry grew to become a prominent figure in society. As a young girl, Lou loved to hunt and ride horses. During her high school years, she enjoyed learning about rocks, minerals, and mining. After high school, while attending Stanford University, she became the first woman at the university to major in geology. Lou graduated from Stanford in 1898.

Following college, Lou married Herbert Hoover. They traveled to China in February of 1899. While living there, she learned to speak and write Chinese. She also volunteered to work in the local hospital, where she distributed milk to the children and wounded.

Lou Henry Hoover served as First Lady from 1929 to 1933. She died eleven years later in 1944 from an acute heart attack.

Selected Achievements

• Translated Georgius Agricola de re Metallica (a manual of mining and metallurgy) from Latin to English and published it in 1912 with Herbert Hoover
• Served as troop leader, president, and national board member of the Girl Scouts
• Strongly advocated physical fitness for girls and women

Heart Disease and Leading Causes of Death

Mrs. Hoover died in 1944 from an acute heart attack. At that time, heart disease was, and still is, the leading cause of death in the United States. In 2001, approximately 700,142 Americans (361,047 women) died of heart disease. Heart disease is also the leading cause of disability among working adults.

Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease

• Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
  http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/fact_sheets.htm*
  High blood pressure and cholesterol levels increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Adults should have their blood pressure checked regularly and their cholesterol levels checked at least every five years.
   
• Be smoke-free.
  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm*
  To reduce your risk for lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, and reproductive health problems, don’t smoke or use other tobacco products. Avoid second-hand smoke, which can also increase risk for these diseases and conditions.
   
• Maintain a healthy weight.
  http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/*
  Overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for physical ailments, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, coronary heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.
   
• Get moving.
  http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/*
  Thirty minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week is recommended.
   
• Eat healthy.
  http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition*
  Watch how much you eat, cut down on saturated fats, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily.
   
• See your health care provider.
  Talk with your health care provider if you have a family history of or risk factors for stroke or heart disease. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience symptoms of a heart attack, including cold sweats and nausea; spreading pain to one or both arms, back, jaw or stomach; chest discomfort or uncomfortable pressure; and/or fullness, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts longer than a few minutes or comes and goes.

Related Links

4 Your Heart*
http://www.womenshealth.gov/heart/ (Non-CDC site)

Cholesterol Fact Sheet*
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/fs_cholesterol.htm

Deaths: Leading Causes for 2001*
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_03.pdf

Eliminate Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease
http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AMH/factsheets/cardio.htm

Heart Disease and Stroke*
http://www.cdc.gov/washington/overview/heartstk.htm

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/index.htm

High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet*
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/fs_bloodpressure.htm

Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack*
http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/library/fs_heartattack.htm

Preventing Heart Disease and Stroke: Addressing the Nation’s Leading Killers*
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/aag/aag_cvd.htm

Lou Henry Hoover*
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/lh31.html (Non-CDC site)

Lou Henry Hoover Biography*
http://www.ecommcode.com/hoover/hooveronline/LHH_WEBSITE/WebPages
/World%20Travelers%201901-1914/World%20Travelers%201901-1914.htm (Non-CDC site)

Lou Henry Hoover: A Biographical Sketch*
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/education/louhenrybio.html (Non-CDC site)

Taking Action Against Secondhand Smoke: An Online Toolkit
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ETS_Toolkit/

Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_forwomen/ataglance.htm

*Used as a source for this Web page.