Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both males and females. The Windsor-Essex County rate for coronary heart disease in men is 28% higher than the provincial average and it is 29% higher for women. There is however, something you can do about it. There are three risk factors that you can modify to lower your risk. These are smoking, physical activity and nutrition. These modifications will also reduce your chances of getting other chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, type II diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Smoking:
In order to lower your risk for heart disease you need to become or remain smoke-free. Also avoid second hand smoke whenever you can. In Windsor-Essex County 26% of adult males and 24% adult females in Windsor-Essex County are daily smokers and over 1/3 of high school students smoke.

Nutrition:
Being 30 pounds or more overweight increases your risk of heart disease. Windsor-Essex County residents consume too much fat and too few whole grain products and vegetables and fruits.

Physical Activity:
Inactivity increases your risk for heart disease. When it comes to physical activity, 52.6% and 60.5% of men and women respectively in Windsor-Essex County are physically inactive. Remarkably 40% of Windsor-Essex County teens are physically inactive.

The Numbers ...

• 20,486 deaths among local residents from 1981 to 1996 (46.7% of all deaths)
• 78,195 years of life lost due to premature death before age 75 among local residents from 1981 to 1996
• over 34,000 hospitalizations among local residents from 1992 to 1996

Did you know…

• Heart disease and stroke has killed more women than men in Windsor-Essex County from 1981 to 1996.
• For every woman that dies from breast cancer in Windsor-Essex County, more than nine are killed by heart disease and stroke.
• Ischemic heart disease, the most common form of circulatory disease, has killed WEC residents at a higher rate than Ontario as a whole – over 19 % higher on average between 1984 and 1995!
• In Windsor-Essex County, 29% of residents 18 years and older are current smokers. This is significantly higher than the Ontario average and represents over 78,000 smokers – 91% of whom are daily smokers.
• Smoking among WEC women (28%) is almost as prevalent as among men (30%) and much higher than the Ontario average for women which is only 23%.
• Only 27% of WEC males and 18% of WEC females maintain a heart-healthy level of physically activity.
• Only 34% of WEC males and 49% of WEC females age 20-64 years maintain a heart-healthy body weight.