Happy, Healthy Hearts

"Aerophobia," or the fear of flying, is one of the 10 most common phobias. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Cher even panic when they have to board! But did you also know that the annual risk for an American of being killed in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million? With odds like these, it seems pretty illogical to fear flying so much.

What seems even more illogical, is that I have never come across a person who fears heart disease. Can you recall a single time that someone has expressed his or her "cardiophobia"? Do you know what heart disease is? See how you score on this quick quiz to find out how much you know.

How did you do? If you didn't score too highly, read the following statistics and to see why you should become more concerned and educated about heart disease.

• the number one killer in the United States, Americans have a 1 in 5 chance of dying from heart disease
• every 30 seconds in the U.S., a person dies of heart disease
• that's 2,800 deaths a day, and over one million every year
• heart disease can strike at any age, and affects both genders

Scary? Yes. But I'm not suggesting you develop "cardiophobia" and live your life in fear of the disease. In fact, I'm suggesting the opposite. I just want you to do two things:

1.) Learn about heart disease

2.) Take simple steps to prevent it from affecting your life

In other words, I'm asking for awareness and action! Visit the American Heart Association website, learn about the condition and what you can do to stay healthy.

In the meantime, here's a brief lesson:

Heart Disease: Any disorder that affects the heart; synonymous with cardio disease but not cardiovascular disease

5 easy steps to reduce the risk of heart disease:

• eat a balanced diet
• reduce stress
• avoid smoking
• exercise regularly
• understand your family history of heart disease

Joanna