Heart fact: Do you know one of the most common reasons that older people end up in the hospital?

It’s heart failure, a condition in which the person’s heart loses some of its ability to pump blood throughout the body. As a result, not enough oxygen is able to reach the body’s cells.

Though the name may sound alarming – like it’s happening immediately – heart failure is typically something that the person has been managing for a while.

In fact, it’s sometimes called “the silent epidemic” because it develops slowly and a person may go along for years without having any symptoms.

However, heart failure tends to get progressively worse as a person ages. That’s because typically, the person’s heart has to work hard over time to deal with the problem. The heart tries to make up for its own weakening by getting larger and forcing itself to pump faster to move more blood through the body.

Open Your Heart & Share Your Story...You could win a $100 gift card!

Heart disease is the number one killer of women.

Each year, thousands of women die from heart disease in the U.S. Healthier living and lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce this figure.  The first step is education.

McLaren Macomb is a proud sponsor of Go Red for Women. This American Heart Association program is designed to educate women on heart disease and the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. As part of this initiative, McLaren Macomb invites women to share their heart health stories.

 

See below for a chance to win a $100 gift card!