Florida Department of Health Recognizes National Women's Health Week

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Tallahassee, Fla. — Mother’s Day marks the first day of National Women’s Health Week, and the Florida Department of Health encourages all women to use this coming week to take steps to improve their health. National Women’s Health Week is an annual observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with the goal of empowering women to make their health a priority.

“National Women’s Health Week reminds women and girls that they can be empowered and take steps to improve their health or stay healthy,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “By seeing a doctor for preventive screenings, practicing healthy behaviors daily such as making smart food choices, moving and stretching throughout the day, and getting 7-9 hours of sleep, all of Florida’s women can lower their risk for preventable diseases.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in Florida, and many forms of heart disease are highly preventable. About half of all Americans have at least one of these three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol or smoking. By eliminating these risk factors, we can take steps to reduce heart disease related deaths among women in Florida. Regular visits to your doctor can identify risk factors and symptoms early on, before they become a more significant problem.

The Florida Department of Health is working to reduce the devastating impact of heart disease through the Heart Health+ pilot program. Launched in November 2016, Heart Health+ implements evidence-based strategies to affect faith based organizations, health systems and local communities in 17 counties that have demonstrated the greatest need for heart disease prevention programs. The department is also working to improve heart health in Florida by joining Million Hearts®, a national initiative from the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. County health departments have joined 100 Congregations for Million Hearts, partnering with faith-based organizations in Florida to advocate and provide resources for heart health information.

Actions you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease include the following:

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight;
• Quit smoking;
• Be active at least 30–60 minutes a day;
• Visit your provider for an annual checkup and/or well-woman visit;
• Monitor existing health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol;
• Practice effective and active stress management;
• Reduce salt intake (sodium); and
• Eat at least five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

This coming week, encourage the women in your life to take a more active role in their health by making lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of preventable illnesses like heart disease, or by scheduling a physical or well-women visit to detect any problems early on.

To learn more about heart disease and the department’s Heart Health+ pilot program, visit https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/heart-disease/index.html

For more information about National Women’s Health Week, visit https://www.womenshealth.gov/

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.