Oct. 16, 2002--
News Specialist Keith McCord reports.
After suffering two heart attacks, Finn Hansen
realized he needed to get healthy again. He knew
it when he went for a walk.
"AND I WAS ABLE TO COVER THE
DISTANCE, BUT BY THE TIME I GOT
BACK I WAS SO TIRED THAT I NEEDED
A MAJOR NAP! AND THAT WAS MY WAKE
UP CALL."
Since that second heart attack last year, Hansen
and fellow cardiac patient Lynn Barnett have
changed their lifestyles.
According to this new report, that's exactly
the right thing to do.
For the past three years, the Utah Health
Department analyzed all the risk factors
associated with cardiovascular disease.
The report confirms that heart disease is the
number one killer in Utah.
It's the leading killer in the nation too, but the
report shows the statistics are a bit better here.
"THE MORTALITY RATE OF
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN UTAH IS
AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT BEING THE LOWEST AMONG THE
MOST COMMON KILLER OF AMERICANS IS
NOT SOMETHING TO BE SATISFIED
WITH."
The report shows that Utahns smoke less than
the national average-- smoking is a huge factor
in heart disease.
But, it also points out areas of improvement:
The number of overweight Utahns has
doubled in the past three years!
"WE HAVE OVER 800,000 ADULTS IN THE
STATE OF UTAH WHO ARE EITHER
OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE."
And doctors say, in terms of excercise, we
really need to get moving, and lifting, and
peddling!
Listen to these stats:
"77% OF OUR TEENS REPORT BEING
PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, WHICH IS ONE OF
THE HIGHEST RATES IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT BY THE TIME THEY'RE
ADULTS, ONLY 26% OF UTAH ADULTS
ENGAGE IN REGULAR PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY."
During an average lifetime, a persons' heart will
beat approximately three billion times!
"THAT'S AN ENORMOUS NUMBER. SO IT'S
REALLY AMAZING HOW THE HEART
FUNCTIONS, EACH MINUTE PUMPING
SIX TO EIGHT QUARTS OF BLOOD."
And doctors say to keep it pumping strong,
especially in our later years, the report confirms
what they've been saying all along still applies:
Excercise regularly, keep the weight off, and
watch what you eat.
The State Health Department report says
cardiovascular disease accounts for
approximately 4,000 deaths in Utah every
year.
Data for the report was gathered between 1998
and 2000.
Additional Findings From The Study
From the Utah Health Dept.
Highlights from the report, Cardiovascular Disease in Utah, include the following:
Adults
•Overall,26%of Utah adults reported engaging in regular physical activity in 2000 compared to 22%of
U.S.adults.
•In 2000,54%of Utah adults were overweight or obese in 2000 compared to 57%of U.S.adults.
•In fact,the estimated number of overweight or obese Utah adults more than doubled from 388,500
persons in 1989 to 801,600 persons in 2000.
•In 2000,13%of Utah adults 18 or older were smokers compared to 22%of U.S.adults.
•Only 21%of Utah adults reported eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day in 2000,
below the 24%reported by U.S.adults.
•In 1999,22%of Utah adults were told by a health professional that they had high blood pressure
compared to 25%of U.S.adults.
•In 1999,about 19%of Utah adults were told that their cholesterol level was high,slightly lower than
the national average of 21%.
Adolescents
•Seventy-seven percent of Utah teens reported engaging in vigorous physical activity in 1999,the
highest rate of vigorous physical activity among youth in the U.S.
•Almost 15%of all Utah high school students were overweight or at risk of being overweight in 1999
compared to 26%of U.S.students.
•In 1999,12%of Utah high school students (an estimated 17,000 teens)reported current cigarette use
compared to 35%nationally.
•Twenty-four percent of Utah teens were eating the recommended number of daily servings of fruits
and vegetables in 2000 compared to 25%of U.S.students.
Other Findings
•Cardiovascular disease,including high blood pressure,heart disease,and stroke,is the leading cause of
death and disability for both women and men in Utah and the U.S.
•Cardiovascular disease accounts for about 4,000 deaths each year in Utah.
•Almost 2,200 Utahns died as a result of a heart attack from 1998 through 2000;more than 900 of
those deaths occurred in women.
•In 2000,there were almost 8,000 discharges from Utah hospitals with a first-listed diagnosis of
coronary heart disease —an increase of 15%since 1992.
•The average annual charge for a coronary heart disease hospitalization for Utahns 20 years of age or
older was about $21,000 during the period 1998 through 2000.
