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Windsor-Essex County Statistics:
Heart disease is a significant problem in Windsor-Essex County.
It is the leading cause of death for both males and females.
The Windsor-Essex County rate for coronary heart disease in men
is 28% higher than the provincial average and it is 29% higher for
women. There is however,
something you can do about it. There
are three risk factors that you can modify to lower your risk.
These are smoking, physical activity and nutrition.
These same risk factors will also reduce your chances of
getting other chronic conditions such as osteoporosis, type II
diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Smoking:
In
order to lower your risk for heart disease you need to become or
remain smoke-free. Also
avoid second hand smoke whenever you can. In Windsor-Essex County 26%
of adult
males and 24% adult females in Windsor-Essex County are daily smokers
and over
1/3 of high school students smoke.
Nutrition:
Being 30 pounds or more overweight increases your risk of heart
disease. Windsor-Essex
County residents consume too much fat and too few whole grain products
and vegetables and fruits.
Physical Activity:
Inactivity increases your risk for heart disease.
When it comes to physical activity, 52.6% and 60.5% of men and
women respectively in Windsor-Essex County are physically inactive.
Remarkably 40% of Windsor-Essex County teens are physically
inactive.
The
Numbers ...
- 20,486 deaths among local residents from 1981 to 1996 (46.7% of
all deaths)
- 78,195 years of life lost due to premature death before age 75
among local residents from 1981 to 1996
- over 34,000 hospitalizations among local residents from 1992 to
1996
Did you know…
- Heart disease and stroke has killed more women than men in
Windsor-Essex County from 1981 to 1996.
- For every woman that dies from breast cancer in Windsor-Essex
County, more than nine are killed by heart disease and stroke.
- Ischemic heart disease, the most common form of circulatory
disease, has killed WEC residents at a higher rate than Ontario as a
whole – over 19 % higher on average between 1984 and 1995!
- In Windsor-Essex County, 29% of residents 18 years and older are
current smokers. This is significantly higher than the Ontario
average and represents over 78,000 smokers – 91% of whom are
daily smokers.
- Smoking among WEC women (28%) is almost as prevalent as among men
(30%) and much higher than the Ontario average for women which is
only 23%.
- Only 27% of WEC males and 18% of WEC females maintain a
heart-healthy level of physically activity.
- Only 34% of WEC males and 49% of WEC females age 20-64 years
maintain a heart-healthy body weight.
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