THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060041
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 36 lines
THE VIRGINIA Affiliate of the American Heart Association has scheduled several events throughout February, National Heart Month.
The events are designed to draw attention to cardiovascular disease.
The nation's No. 1 killer. it claims a life in the United States every 33 seconds, the association reports.
In Virginia in 1994, the most recent year for which figures are available, 20,587 people died of cardiovascular disease. They included 421 people in Chesapeake; 421 in Portsmouth; 884 in Norfolk; 738 in Virginia Beach; 247 in Suffolk; 415 in Hampton; 519 in Newport News; and 50 in Williamsburg.
Because lack of physical activity has been linked to cardiovascular disease, the heart association is emphasizing exercise in this year's campaign. Light activities such as walking, gardening or housework for 30 minutes a day offer long-term health benefits, the association reports.
More vigorous workouts, such as swimming, jogging or jumping rope - for 30 to 60 minutes three or four days a week - can improve the fitness of the heart and lungs, lower blood cholesterol and prevent or control high blood pressure, it says.
Local Heart Month events include free cholesterol screenings from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 20 at Northampton Community Center, ``Healthy Heart and Eating'' at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at Kempsville library, and a health fair from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 at Wards Corner Shopping Center in Norfolk.
The association's annual invitation-only Heart Ball will be Saturday night at the Marriott in downtown Norfolk.
For more information about heart health, call the American Heart Association toll-free at (800)-HEARTLINE. Or call the association in Richmond at (804) 965-6444.
- Pat Dooley