Your Health

Survey Finds “Proactivity” Gap In Heart Health

Posted 12/13/2010

Taking dietary supplements can promote heart health.

(NAPSI) - Good news: Americans know what to do to help their hearts. Bad news: Many don’t do it. Despite broad concern about heart disease, a recent survey found that many Americans disregard some of the basic steps to support a healthy heart.

In the survey, 87 percent of respondents said they are concerned about keeping their hearts healthy and 94 percent say they know how to do so. Nevertheless, while 94 percent of respondents say getting at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week or more is important, only 69 percent say they actually do so.

“Clearly, knowing that heart health is important and being concerned about it is not enough,” said Melina Jampolis, M.D. internist and board-certified physician and nutrition specialist. “It’s important for all Americans to change this mind-set and make heart-healthy choices.”

With this in mind, Women- Heart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease and Nature Made joined forces to create the 100,000 Heartbeats campaign. It gives Americans tools to keep their hearts healthy and provides easy tips on how to narrow the “proactivity gap.” The campaign features a website that lets visitors spread the word about heart health and help unlock a $100,000 donation from Nature Made to WomenHeart. Each interaction on the campaign’s website unlocks a $3 or $5 donation.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women as well as men. Here are some simple steps you can take to get proactive about heart health:

1. Lighten the Load: Losing weight is the second-most-important thing that you can do to lower your risk of heart disease (after not smoking). Research shows that losing 10 percent of your body weight can make a significant difference.

2. Fill the Gap: Vitamins and supplements can help fill nutrition gaps in your diet. Nature Made Fish Oil contains useful omega-3 fatty acids and Nature Made CholestOff provides extra plant sterols and stanols that help maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

3. Move to the Beat: Regular exercise—it doesn’t have to be intense—helps keep your heart strong.

For more heart-health tips and information, visit http://WomenHeart.NatureMade.com.