American Heart Walk

Good Morning Health is Spiritual Fans!  This May I will be participating in the American Heart Walk in my hometown.  My personal goal is to raise $1000.  I know that may seem like a lot, but the money spent is worth it if it means saving a life.  Here are some interesting statistics on heart disease:

The Plus Side:
3% of Americans are thought to have optimum cardiovascular health, according to a recent study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for which researchers questioned more than 350,000 people nationwide about their body mass index, cholesterol levels, fruit and vegetable consumption, and more. but the findings weren't all doom and gloom. For instance, if you're between the ages of 35-54, you're in the bracket most likely to have an "ideal" ticker.
Edelstein, Julia "Real Simple" (2013)

The Burden:

• About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.¹
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.¹
• Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 peopleannually.¹
• Every year about 935,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 610,000 are a first heart attack. 325,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.²
• Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year.³ This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

CDC-DHDSP "Heart Disease Facts"

No One is Safe:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For American Indians or Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders, heart disease is second only to cancer. Below are the percentages of all deaths caused by heart disease in 2008, listed by ethnicity.⁴

Race of Ethnic Group	% of Deaths
African Americans	24.5
American Indians or Alaska Natives	18.0
Asians or Pacific Islanders	23.2
Hispanics	20.8
Whites	25.1
All	25.0

Please visit my pledge page and donate.  Even if it's only $1.00. Let's work together to create a better, heart healthier country!  Let's rid that map of all that red!

http://twincitiesheartwalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1033008&supid=379205584