The WHF Healthy Hearts Guides© are summarized below. The Guides are topic-related, single-paged, two-color instructional sheets with graphics to assist patients and practitioners in the care and management of heart disease including the promotion of wellness and prevention. The guides are also available in Spanish.

The Healthy Hearts Guides come in packages of 100. Sale of Healthy Hearts Guides help to fund the programs of the Women's Heart Foundation. Health Professionals: please contact us to order these guides for your patients. Healthy Hearts Guides on this website may be downloaded for single use by consumers only and may not be reproduced.

1. Improving Communication With Your Doctor - Many women are easily talked out of symptoms and don't take the time to focus on their own healthcare needs. Organizing information prior to healthcare visits can improve communication and foster better care. (G-1)
   

2. Get Smart About Smoking - Smoking is the #1 controllable risk factor for both heart disease and lung cancer. Studies show 27% of women smoke - often as a means to control weight. Women should know that the average weight gain for those who quit smoking is only 6 pounds. Encourage a woman smoker to commit to a quit date and help her to make a decision she can live with. (G-2)
   

3. Reading Food Labels is Easy as 1-2-3 - Diet is of particular interest with the recent discovery of “healthy” fats and “unhealthy” fats. This guide assists shoppers in deciding which food items may be a better choice. (G-3)
   

4. Count Your Fat Grams Worksheet - This is a tool for consumers concerned about total fat intake and calories from fat. (Note: Fat is a vital part of a nutritious diet and essential for the metabolism of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association recommend limiting total calories from fat to 30%. This is a general recommendation for healthy adults. For those with established heart disease, a more restrictive diet may be advised. A diet that severely limits fat intake to less than 15% of total calories from fat may interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Consumers should check with their healthcare professional about their individual dietary needs and use common sense by eating a wide variety of foods in moderation.) (G-4)
   

5. Women’s Heart Risk Checklist - Women’s risks for heart disease differ from men's in unique and specific ways. This simple risk assessment alerts women to risk factors while raising awareness that women are vulnerable to the number one killer of Americans. All women should take this quiz to discover if they are at risk. (G-5)
   

6. Self-paced Guide to Quitting Smoking - Quitting smoking takes a lot of energy so a woman should decide to quit only when she feels ready. This behavior modification sheet allows smokers to record their quit date, trigger situations and rewards for when they were successful at abstaining from smoking. (G-6)
   

7. Heart Attack Symptoms - An action plan for women - What symptoms of heart attack and heart disease do women experience and how do symptoms differ from men’s? This guide gives women the vital answers they need so they know how to respond quickly. (G-7)
   

8. Panic Attack or Heart Attack? Diagnosing heart disease in women - Symptoms of heart disease can mimic panic attack. This guide stresses the importance of ruling out heart disease as a possible cause and describes testing. Early intervention and gender-specific response to testing is addressed. (G-8)
   

9. Monitoring Your Blood Pressure - High blood pressure (also called hypertension) often has no symptoms. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. Blood pressure self-monitoring can help a woman know when this silent killer is NOT under control. (G-9)
   

10. Pathway for a Healthy Heart - Many factors contribute to heart disease. Some lifestyle behaviors and risk factors affect women differently. Following a healthy path for life is a way to reduce risk. (G-10)
    

11. Taking Medications Safely- The FDA estimates that $76.6 billion dollars is spent each year on preventable medicine-related illnesses. Those who take medicine of any kind can benefit by following the safety guidelines outlined in this document. (G-11)
    

12. Taking Coumadin® at Home - Coumadin® (also called warfarin) is an anticoagulant. Anticoagulant therapy is prescribed to prevent blood clots from forming, but it is not without risk. Having regular blood tests, being alert to possible food, supplement or drug interactions and quickly responding to signs of bleeding may reduce risk. This Guide was endorsed by the Peer Review Organization of New Jersey and introduced to hospitals state-wide. (G-12)
    

13. Living With Mindfulness - Reactions to stress can have a negative impact on health. You cannot prevent stressful situations in life, but you can control your reactions to them. Practicing mindfulness can help. (G-13)

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