Half who die of heart disease won't even know they were at risk ... Think about this:

• 45% of heart attacks occur in people under the age of 65. Males account for 47% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is often under-diagnosed and under-treated in women.
• A women's risk for coronary artery disease increases after menopause. Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) increases the risk of stroke for post menopausal women of all ages.
• High blood pressure occurs earlier within the African American population and is usually more severe. The largest increase in obesity (7%) occurred in the Caucasian population. Hispanics are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than caucasians.
• Obesity has increased dramatically throughout the 1990s, contributing to the 33% increase in diabetes in adults. Obesity and inactivity contribute to more than 300,000 premature deaths…second only to cigarette smoking.
• Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the US. Cigarette smoking adds roughly 10 years of aging to your blood vessels.
• Cigarettes have multiple poisons, including addictive nicotine, carbon monoxide, tars and hydrogen cyanide. There are 4,000 other chemicals of varying toxicity, including 43 known carcinogens. Smoking cessation programs help people quit smoking for at least one year, especially for those who smoke more than 25 cigarettes per day.
• The Surgeon General Report states: After 1 year off cigarettes, the risk of heart disease caused by smoking is cut in half. And, after 15 years, the damage caused by smoking is almost reduced to the level of a non-smoker
•  
• Lack of exercise and poor diet increases the risk of developing high blood pressure by 30-50%. More than 60% of adults do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity.
• 75% of the general population experiences at least "some stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview Survey).
• Stress contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses in many individuals.

CLICK HERE to visit St. John's Regional Medical Center's website and take a 7 minute evaluation to see if you are at risk of heart disease.