Women and Heart Disease: Prevention May Be the Cure

If you knew you could have stopped that balsamic vinegar from splattering on your favorite white sweater, would you have done something to prevent it from happening? And if you knew you were going to drive into a pothole, causing your tire to go flat, would you have taken a different route? I'm sure you also wish your child had moved the toy he tripped over so that he wouldn't have hurt his knee.

Yes, all of the above situations could have been prevented if you would have anticipated these problems in the first place, but unless you're clairvoyant, it's not very easy to prevent something you can't predict. When it comes to your body, right now, as you read this story, there are accidents inside you waiting to happen: whether it's potential damage from high blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels, this is the time to take charge of your health. Many of us are also fighting against our family histories.

[See Best Heart-Healthy Diets.]

For too many years, I've seen women in my practice overcome with worry and concern over their husband's health. They know every little detail about his medical history, laboratory values, and current medications. Yet when it comes to themselves … their chief complaint is, "I hate the way I look." It's not until I scratch below the surface or consult with their physicians that I discover they have a soaring cholesterol level, or a family history of diabetes, or that they're going through menopause and have a mother and grandmother suffering from osteoporosis.

These women don't realize that they too can stand among their sisters, who together make up one scary statistic: More than 435,000 women have heart attacks each year. In fact, more women die of heart disease than of all types of cancer combined. And more than 42 million women are currently living with some form of cardiovascular disease, and many don't even know it.

[See Al Roker's Gastric Bypass and Weight Loss.]

To underscore the need for corporations, media, doctors, researchers, friends, and neighbors to speak up and promote a healthier lifestyle for women, I had the pleasure of attending the Woman's Day Red Dress Awards at Lincoln Center in New York City. As honoree and Today show contributor Joy Bauer mentioned, this was probably the closest we'll ever get to the Academy Awards. My connection to this event, however, was close to my own heart. My dad, mom, brother, and sister all had or have heart disease. That means that this silent killer could be at my doorstep … but that doesn't mean I'm answering the door! You may not be able to pick your parents, but you can pick what goes on your plate.

[See The Truth About Women's Heart Health.]

Fighting heart disease in women is not just about putting on a red dress or eating heart-healthy foods during February, which is American Heart Month. It's about making some room on your own to-do list and trying to take small steps to promote a healthy lifestyle. As a mom of three and a diehard foodie, my kitchen is the heart of my home. Let's all fight together to keep our hearts safe and strong.

For more information about how you can help or get help, visit www.heart.org or www.womensheart.org, or follow some of my faves on twitter, @American_Heart, @GoRedForWomen, and @WomansDay.

[See 5 Red Foods to Eat for Your Heart.]

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, has been owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC, for more than three decades and she is the author of Read It Before You Eat It. As a renowned motivational speaker, author, media personality, and award-winning dietitian, Taub-Dix has found a way to communicate how to make sense of science. Her website is BetterThanDieting.com.

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Former New England Patriots Matt Light's Battle With Crohn's Disease

In June 2004, New England Patriots players gathered at owner Robert Kraft's home to receive their Super Bowl rings. But the team wasn't complete. Matt Light, who helped earn the victory, wasn't there. He was in the midst of a 30-day hospital stay, fighting through complications that had developed from having a 13-inch section of his intestine removed. He couldn't eat for a month and lost 55 pounds, dropping to his lowest weight since high school.

During Light's 11 seasons with the Patriots, from 2001 to 2012, football fans knew he was the most successful left tackle in the team's storied history. What they didn't know was that Light was battling Crohn's disease—an often debilitating inflammatory bowel disease—throughout his entire career. That meant severe abdominal pain, fatigue, and persistent diarrhea, among other symptoms. Light, 34, didn't speak publicly about his struggles until May, when he announced his retirement. Now, he wants to educate and encourage others who are experiencing what he went through. Light shared his story with U.S. News:

What led to your diagnosis? How did you know something was wrong?

I was officially diagnosed in 2001, but I had started experiencing a lot of the symptoms during my freshman year in college. At the time, I didn't connect it with being anything more than the flu or a stomach virus. I just wasn't up to speed with issues like Crohn's disease, or any other type of bowel disease. By the time I got to the NFL as a rookie, I just knew something wasn't right. I was experiencing internal bleeding—it's very difficult to talk about, kind of embarrassing, but this is what happens. I started asking a lot of questions, got a full exam, and the doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital told me I was suffering from Crohn's disease.

[See 4 Common Diarrhea Causes—and What to Do if You Get Sick.]

How did you feel when you learned you had Crohn's? Was it scary, or were you relieved to finally know what was wrong?

I tend to process things in a very matter-of-fact way. Maybe it's my engineering background. I had this sense that I needed to find out what it was, and that's a real message I try to get across to people I come in contact with—to ask as many questions as you possibly can, no matter what it is you're suffering from.

In 2004, a series of surgeries kept you in the hospital for a month with intense pain and complications from having part of your intestine removed. You've described it as a very dark period. How did you get through it—and make it to training camp less than two months later?

It was very difficult, but I had really good doctors and a really good support team. You're not the only one who goes through this—it's all the people around you, and you rely on them. When you have a family, you have to be healthy for them. I remember my wife coming into the hospital and showing me my Super Bowl ring for the first time. It's pretty wild to think you can get through all that and still get back out there and win another championship.

Why did you decide to start speaking about your condition publicly?

I had mixed emotions about going public, because I hadn't said anything throughout my entire battle. I was worried some people were going to be upset that I had kept it hidden. But I didn't want people to say, "Well, he had a bad game because he's battling this tough disease." At the time, my battle was my battle, and I wasn't willing to talk about it. The truth is, it's not easy to talk about, but if somebody else can learn something by me coming out and telling my story—and they can say, there's a guy who's doing great, and he got through some really tough times—then I'm just thankful to have the opportunity to be that voice.

[See 8 Common Digestive Problems and How to End Them.]

How are you doing today?

It's a major transition when you stop playing the game of football. I spent a lot of time coming up with my plan of attack and looking into different treatments. I had to re-educate myself, because I had different options in 2012 than I did in 2001. I played a pretty violent, inflammatory sport, and Crohn's is an inflammatory disease, so some of the treatments just weren't possible for me. Today, I'm doing a lot better, and I don't have the day-to-day issues I had for a long time.

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