MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPRING 2004 ...

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o n t h W i t h T o u r s a n d F e s t i v i t i e s Donald Young, Ethel Lewis and Clementine McCray. Kathy Malone was one of the organizers. Beverly Miles (left) and two employees of Miami-Dade Metro Transit System. One of the purposes of this year's Black History Month observance was to educate employees on the African- Americans' contributions to society. Dozens of employees attended the cultural event. 10 HealthBeat
Women and Coronary Heart Disea ELENI D. SFAKIANAKI, M.D., M.S.P.H. MDCHD Medical Executive Director Coronary heart disease - part of the overall classification of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD)- continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and in many other developed nations. Death rates from CVD have been going down over the last several decades. However, despite an overall reduction, the rate of decline is less for women than for men. In terms of total deaths, in every year since 1984, CVD has claimed the lives of more females than males. And the gap between male and female deaths is wide, as the graph below shows: It is estimated that one in two women will eventually die Misperceptions still exist that CVD is not a real problem for women. Many people still believe that "heart disease is a man's disease." However, the harsh reality is that: Cardiovascular diseases cause about a death a minute among women, claiming more than one half million female lives every year. That is more lives than the next 7 causes of death in women combined. It is estimated that one in two women will eventually die of heart disease or stroke, compared with one in 25 who will eventually die of breast cancer. Starting at age 75, the prevalence of CVD among women is higher than that among men. Nearly two thirds of women who die suddenly have no previously recognized symptoms. CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women. The death rate due to CVD is 69 percent higher in black women than in white women. The good news is that, according to the literature, overwhelming evidence suggests that CVD can be prevented to a large extent in both men and women. As we know, several factors raise the risk of heart disease. These include: Increasing age Gender Heredity and race High blood cholesterol High blood pressure Tobacco smoke Physical inactivity Obesity or overweight and Diabetes. Addressing these factors and effectively modifying or controlling them, can substantially reduce the risk for CVD. Of course, some of these factors, namely the first three ones, cannot be modified: we cannot turn the clock back nor can we change our gender and our family history. However, both men and women can do a lot to modify or control the other risk factors: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, tobacco smoke, physical inactivity, obesity or overweight and diabetes. 11 HealthBeat
Page 1 and 2: HealthBeat MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents ADMINISTRATOR’S
Page 5 and 6: The Refugee Health Program is Colle
Page 7 and 8: Left to right: Dr. Jayne Greenberg,
Page 9: M D C H D C e l e b r a t e s B l a
Page 13 and 14: Volunteers Something Good is Happen
Page 15 and 16: I N t he Spotlight CONGRATULATIONS,

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPRING 2004 ...

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