Local senior living facility offering free in home heart checks

It is often thought of as a man's disease, but the American Heart Association says heart disease is the number one killer of American women.

The American Heart Association says one in three women die from heart disease, and a woman's risk increases with age.

Here in Michiana, a team of health professionals is helping an especially vulnerable group fight the disease.

Throughout the month of February a team from Tanglewood Trace Assisted Living Center in Mishawaka is alerting women of the risks.

Cardiac Disease kills more women than all cancers combined.

It is a harsh reality but a team from Tanglewood Trace is taking on the fight.

Tanglewood is taking part in “10,000 Heart to Hearts.” It is a national movement to reach out to 10,000 women 65 years of age and older.

Tanglewood will meet women at their homes for free, to talk to them about the risks of heart disease, check their blood pressure, and discuss lifestyle improvements.

Early detection and lifestyle improvements are shown to reduce a woman's chances of getting the disease by 90%.

Health experts say as women age they become more likely to develop heart disease, but there are ways to reduce your risk.

“Cigarette smoking and we can all improve by stopping smoking, family history which is an important risk factor and so far we can't do anything to change that. High blood pressure, so we want to find out if we have high blood pressure and if we do take our medicine to control it,” said Cardiologist Ronald Nelson.

To schedule an in home heart visit contact Kelly Roggow at 574-261-9440.