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Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?

Healthy Heart, Healthy Family

National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
And Office of Research on Minority Health

Contents

Be Heart Smart
Lola Learns Important Facts About Heart Disease
Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?
Take the Path to Heart Health
Don't Wait
Take Action!
My Heart Health Card
Resources

Be Heart Smart

Did you know that heart disease is a serious problem among Filipino Americans?

• It is one of the leading causes of death for Filipino Americans.
• Filipino Americans have higher blood pressure than other Asian Americans.
• In the Philippines, about one in four Filipino adults has high blood pressure.

Lola Caridad de la Cruz (Idad)* will show you how she and her family take care of their hearts. * Lola is Tagalog for grandmother. Idad is the nickname for her last name, Caridad.

The Amazing Heart

Your heart is one of your strongest muscles. It pumps blood through miles of blood vessels to all parts of your body. The heart is so important; you want to keep it healthy. When the heart stops, life stops.

A Wake-Up Call

Lola: "The doctor told me I am overweight and have high blood pressure. She said that my age, being overweight, and having high blood pressure increase my risk for heart disease."

Next Page

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH Publication No. 08-6345
June 2008