Heart failure (HF) kills thousands of people each year. But, the chronic, progressive condition can be managed if it’s diagnosed and treated early. The American Heart Association (AHA), the world’s leading voluntary health organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke, is making it easy for people to test their heart failure knowledge while learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of HF through a new interactive quiz that asks, “What The HF?”
The quiz is the latest addition to the Rise Above Heart Failure initiative, launched in 2015 by the Association. Rise Above Heart Failure is nationally supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
“What the HF?” is a new, interactive, digital call to action to educate everyone on how to spot symptoms of HF in themselves and their loved ones and what to do about them. To get involved in the Rise Above Heart Failure initiative:
- Get started: Find the quiz at RiseAboveHF.org
- Get smart: Take the “What the HF?” quiz
- Get social: Share the quiz with 5 people you love, in recognition of the 1 in 5 Americans who will develop HF sometime in their lives, so they can ask “What the HF?” too.
Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and television producerQueen Latifah, the spokesperson for the Rise Above Heart Failure campaign, knows first-hand the importance of understanding the symptoms and treatment for heart failure. She’s the primary caregiver for her mother, Rita Owens, who is living with the condition.
“My mom’s heart failure diagnosis was a shock to our family,” Queen Latifah said. “We thought she was just getting older and we didn’t know heart failure’s signs or symptoms. I’m challenging Americans to join me in taking our new ‘What The HF?’ quiz on RiseAboveHF.org. In caring for my mom, I’ve found knowledge is power when it comes to managing her health and this is an easy way to learn more and share with others. And, if you recognize any of the symptoms in yourself or a loved one, talk to your doctor right away.” Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart can’t pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body’s needs. More than 6.5 million Americans are living with HF and more than 308,000 people die from it each year. One in five people will have heart failure in their lifetime with nearly a million new cases diagnosed each year.
But, the condition is manageable if it’s diagnosed early. Making sure patients and their families recognize symptoms and talk to a doctor to get on an appropriate treatment plan is critical.
“Awareness is a key to battling heart failure in the U.S.,” said Kathy Magliato, M.D., AHA spokesperson and cardiothoracic surgeon in Los Angeles. “With projections showing more than 8 million people will be living with heart failure within the next decade, it’s worrisome that patients and their caregivers often don’t understand what they need to know to prevent, detect andmanage heart failure.”
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Heart failure symptoms can include:
- Shortness of breath,
- Persistent coughing or wheezing,
- Buildup of excess fluid in body tissues (edema),
- Fatigue,
- Lack of appetite or nausea,
- Impaired thinking, or
- Increased heart rate
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team withmillions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
QUEEN LATIFAH IS FINALLY READY FOR MOTHERHOOD
“Give it to ’em Queen!” are the words that many concert goers shouted when Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah, used to rock the mic during her many hip hop concerts. The Grammy Award-winning rapper, songwriter, talk show host and SAG Award-winning actress has come a long way. She says she’s even ready to be a mother.
In a recent 2016 interview, the multi-talented producer said, “I’m little bit of a procrastinator. But, I had some things to deal with. I had to get a lot of partying out of my system early in life for about 40 years. You know what I’m saying. I’m good now,” she said. “I think I’m ready.”
But she’s not sure just how many kids she’s ready for.
“I can’t say what God has for me, but you will see,” the
- Grapefruit and all citrus fruits have a powerful flavonoid called naringenin that helps stabilize your blood sugar so you will burn more fat. It also decreases your appetite, helping you fight off sugar cravings. The fiber also helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream so you burn more fat.
- Green vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Eat three servings of green vegetables a day, and a serving with every meal.
From healthy eating and exercise to teach the world about autoimmune disease through her mother’s condition, scleroderma, Queen Latifah really is the Queen of healthy living and doesn’t plan on giving up the crown anytime soon.
Scleroderma is an auto-immune disease which affects many organs, including the skin and internal organs. It affects more women than men (about 4 to 1) and occurs in about 300,000 people in the USA. Its peak incidence is in the late 40s and early 50s, but people as young as 3 and as senior as 80 can develop scleroderma. A cure has not been found to date but treatments are encouraging with better outcomes from new therapies compared to even 10 years ago.
- Grapefruit and all citrus fruits have a powerful flavonoid called naringenin that helps stabilize your blood sugar so you will burn more fat. It also decreases your appetite, helping you fight off sugar cravings. The fiber also helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream so you burn more fat.
- Green vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Eat three servings of green vegetables a day, and a serving with every meal.
From healthy eating and exercise to teach the world about autoimmune disease through her mother’s condition, scleroderma, Queen Latifah really is the Queen of healthyliving and doesn’t plan on giving up the crown anytime soon.
Scleroderma is an auto-immune disease which affects many organs, including the skin and internal organs. It affects more women than men (about 4 to 1) and occurs in about 300,000 people in the USA. Its peak incidence is in the late 40s and early 50s, but people as young as 3 and as senior as 80 can develop scleroderma. A cure has not been found to date but treatments are encouraging with better outcomes from new therapies compared to even 10 years ago. Research is leading to better understanding of genetic factors and possible causes, but there is a long way to go.
We wish her mother a healthy recovery and many more years of life.
Research is leading to better understanding of genetic factors and possible causes, but there is a long way to go.
We wish her mother a healthy recovery and many more years of life.
actress and talk host said. “You’ll see when I’m lugging the baby on the hip that there is actually a youngin’ around here.”
Now, the Queen is “giving it to them” in another way: branching out as she brought Bessie Smith to life in HBO’s biopic on the legendary blues-jazz singer. The experience
- Grapefruit and all citrus fruits have a powerful flavonoid called naringenin that helps stabilize your blood sugar so you will burn more fat. It also decreases your appetite, helping you fight off sugar cravings. The fiber also helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream so you burn more fat.
- Green vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Eat three servings of green vegetables a day, and a serving with every meal.
From healthy eating and exercise to teach the world about autoimmune disease through her mother’s condition, scleroderma, Queen Latifah really is the Queenof healthy living and doesn’t plan on giving up the crown anytime soon.
Scleroderma is an auto-immune disease which affects many organs, including the skin and internal organs. It affects more women than men (about 4 to 1) and occurs in about 300,000 people in the USA. Its peak incidence is in the late 40s and early 50s, but people as young as 3 and as senior as 80 can develop scleroderma. A cure has not been found to date but treatments are encouraging with better outcomes from new therapies compared to even 10 years ago. Research is leading to better understanding of genetic factors and possible causes, but there is a long way to go.
We wish her mother a healthy recovery and many more years of life.
has presented her a list of firsts.
“I’ve never done that before. It was a little odd but it was also a quiet, relaxing thing,” the New Jersey-native recalled of the scene. “Sometimes she was so alone, and it was a moment for Bessie to acknowledge her vulnerability, which I can completely relate to … I don’t find [this nude scene] any more uncomfortable than kissing a girl in ‘Set It Off’ and sticking to the script.”
“You have to take your mind off of yourself and honor that character. Respect Cleo, respect Bessie.”
In addition to the mental fitness it takes to pull off scenes like that, Queen makes sure her body can keep up as well.
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One of her secret weapons is her trainer, Hollywood trainer Jeanette Jenkins, who makes sure that the Queen keeps her royal court in shape from the inside out. Jeanette even got Queen Latifah to start drinking more water. “Drinking water is huge,” admits Queen Latifah. “It makes up 60% of your body weight. So when you are drinking at least half your body weight in ounces you are going to lose. I have my meals automated, ensuring that I eat the right thing when I get hungry.”
Jeanette says practicing yoga is also amazing for maintainingand building on your progress. When you hit any plateau in your fitness goals, it’s important to explore new foods and get variety.
Jeanette shared her list of foods that will boost your weight loss, help you burn fat, and look like royalty, too:
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- Green tea stabilizes your blood sugar, decreases your appetite and decreases your risk of all cancers.
- Yerba mate has the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate” all in one beverage.
- A probiotic is a healthy bacteria that’s important for your stomach for healthy digestion and elimination. If you are constipated and you are not eliminating waste, it is going to be very difficult to burn fat and lose weight.
- Grapefruit and all citrus fruits have a powerful flavonoid called naringenin that helps stabilize your blood sugar so you will burn more fat. It also decreases your appetite, helping you fight off sugar cravings. The fiber also helps slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream so you burn more fat.
- Green vegetables are low in calories andhigh in fiber. Eat three servings of green vegetables a day, and a serving with every meal.
From healthy eating and exercise to teach the world about autoimmune disease through her mother’s condition, scleroderma, Queen Latifah really is the Queen of healthy living and doesn’t plan on giving up the crown anytime soon.
Scleroderma is an auto-immune disease which affects many organs, including the skin and internal organs. It affects more women than men (about 4 to 1) and occurs in about 300,000 people in the USA. Its peak incidence is in the late 40s and early 50s, but people as young as 3 and as senior as 80 can develop scleroderma. A cure has not been found to date but treatments are encouraging with better outcomes from new therapies compared to even 10 years ago. Research is leading to better understanding of genetic factors and possible causes, but there is a long way to go.
We wish her mother a healthy recovery and many more years of life.
