What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm. More than 5.1 million Americans are living with Atrial Fibrillation (Afib). As the Baby Boomers age, these numbers will increase and are expected to reach nearly 16 million by 2050.  September is Afib awareness month, take a few moments to learn about the symptoms and risk…

What is your risk? Rockford Health System

What Is Your Personal Risk of Heart Disease? Tonight Eliz presented the Busy Woman’s Guide to a Health Heart and the Rockford Health System Healthy Woman Event.  More than 550 women laughed and learned about risk factors and how to improve heart health (and danced a little too!) Were you at the event today? Share…

Celebrating 10 Years of Women’s Heart Advocacy

Time Flies When You Are Doing Good! Ten years ago if a woman went to the ER with symptoms of a heart attack, she was likely to be sent home after being told it was anxiety, gas, or “all in her head.” Today, through the efforts of the Heart Truth Campaign through the National Heart,…

Seriously, Just Get The Flu Shot

Did you get your flu shot yet? Our family was a bit delayed in getting our shots this year and sure enough – yep, one of the girls got it! Watching my very healthy 12-year-old struggle with a high fever and crazy coughing was tough.  I can’t imagine the toll it would take on someone…

That Picture on the Fridge Won’t Help!

Think taping a photo of a skinny person to the fridge will help you lose weight? It won’t! In a wonderful interview on NPR this morning, Anne Klesse, a researcher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands described her study. Two groups of women interested in losing weight were given food journals to record everything they…

Mammograms Detect More than Breast Cancer!

It is October, the month to focus on breast cancer prevention and treatment.  Good news – what you do to protect your breast health protects your heart health as well. Did you know a mammogram is not only a tool for early detection of breast cancer, it can also detect early heart disease? It is…

Why Didn’t Rosie O’Donnell Call 911?

Recently television host Rosie O’Donnell announced she had a heart attack.  Rosie Googled heart attack symptoms, recognized what she was experiencing, and then convinced herself not to call 911.  She waited until the next day to go to the doctor.  We are lucky she is still with us. A good friend, on hearing the story,…

Working Moms Healthier?

Does a paycheck make mom more healthy? In reaction to preliminary findings presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Denver this weekend, several news sources have published article proclaiming working moms to be more healthy than moms who stay home with their children.  Read the Everyday Health Article here. “Work is good for…

Stress: A Sticky Situation

Stress Makes Sticky Platelets Most of us know stress causes your body to react in a “Fright or Flight” manner.  Your heart rate increases, cortisol is produced, and – you might be surprise to learn – your blood gets more sticky. One of the body’s more ingenious reactions to a threatening situation is to make…