Campaign Materials

The Heart Truth^® Wallet Card

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, but many women do not know they are at risk.
The Heart Truth^® program educates women about heart disease and its risk factors and motivates them to take action.

The Red Dress^® is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness introduced by The Heart Truth in 2002. Talk to your doctor, find out your risk, and take action to lower it.

For more information, visit www.hearttruth.gov.

Tips for Heart Health

Don’t smoke. And, if you do, quit. Women who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than nonsmoking women. Smoking also increases the risk of stroke and cancer.

Eat for heart health. Healthy weight is important for a long, vigorous life. Overweight and obesity cause many preventable deaths. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.

Get moving. Make a commitment to be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose. Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal

Know your risks:

High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol
High triglyceride levels
Diabetes and prediabetes
Being overweight or obese
Metabolic syndrome
Family history of early heart disease
Age (55 or older for women)
Preeclampsia during pregnancy

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

What is my risk for heart disease?
What are my blood pressure, cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides), body mass index, and blood glucose numbers and what do they mean?
What other screening tests for heart disease do I need?
How can you help me quit smoking?
What’s a heart healthy eating plan for me?

Blood Pressure

Normal: less than 120/80
Prehypertension: 120/80 to 139/89
Hypertension: 140/90 or higher

Cholesterol

Total Cholesterol:
Desirable: less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline high: 200 - 239 mg/dL
High: 240 mg/dL and above

HDL Cholesterol:

An HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dL is a major risk factor for heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol:

Optimal: less than 100 mg/dL
Near Optimal: 100 - 129 mg/dL
Borderline high: 130 - 159 mg/dL
High: 160 - 189 mg/dL
Very High: 190 mg/dL and above

Blood Glucose (fasting)

Normal: under 99mg/dLandbelow
Prediabetes: 100 - 125 mg/dL
Diabetes: 126 mg/dL and above

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Normal weight: BMI = 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight: BMI = 25 - 29.9
Obese: BMI = 30 or greater

Know Your Numbers

Blood Pressure
Date/Blood Pressure

Cholesterol
Date/Total/LDL/HDL

Blood Glucose
Date/Blood Glucose Level

Weight
Date/Weight/BMI

NIH Publication No. 15-5801
Revised June 2015

Last Updated: August 14, 2015

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