Life Saving Messages
Make a difference in the lives of others by sharing important heart health information.
Did you know that you do not have to be a health professional to help others learn about heart health?
You can help save lives – even your own! Use these simple-to-use tools designed to inform women about heart health. Find fun activities, videos and tips that you can use to make a difference in somebody’s life. Look below to get started!
Program Materials
Spread the word in your community. Your efforts may save lives, even your own!For program materials, contact your county WVU Extension Office.
Heart of the Mountains Video
Hear women’s stories of heart attack survival. This inspiring West Virginia video is 1 ¼ hours and can be used in sections. For a copy of the video, contact your local West Virginia University Extension Service office.
Publications
Stay up-to-date on heart health! Share with community members to spread the word.- Act In Time To Heart Attack Signs - Printable Poster
- Heart-Healthy Snacks: An Easy Choice
- Stroke Risk Factors
- Your Check for Life
- Guide to a Healthy Heart
- Brief Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease
- Brief Guide to a Healthy Heart
- Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease
- Guide to Lowering Cholesterol with TLC
- Heart Truth For Women
- Heart Truth for Women - Leaders Guide
- High Blood Cholesterol What You Need to Know
February Heart Health Month
Plan fun February activities to improve heart-healthy lifestyles.Take time this year to learn how to prevent or control heart disease, the #1 killer of men and women in West Virginia. How? Have a “Love Your Heart Fun Lunch”. Anyone can do it, any way you like—with your own family, office colleagues or friends. Here’s how…
Use any or all of these materials in the Love Your Heart Fun Lunch kit.
- Host Recruitment (to recruit volunteers or others to organize these events)
- Planning Guide (step-by-step what to do before, during, after the lunch)
- Invitation (flyer to fill in your date, time, location, contact)
- Calendar(handout for lunch or any other February event)
- Healthy Red Foods (ideas to use in planning a lunch or as a handout)
- Heart Truth (handout on heart disease facts, symptoms, and prevention)
- Mixer (lunchtime beginning ice-breaker game)
- Word Game (lunchtime closing game)
- Crossword Puzzle
- Beach Ball Questions (with a permanent marker, write questions on a ball, then have fun tossing it around to see if the group can answer all the questions correctly)
- Test Your Risk (handout or inspirational poster for the fridge)
- Survey – Interactive and print-ready versions (pre/post program evaluation tool)
- Mini Poster (Fillable)
- Participant Sign-in Sheet
- Test Your Heart Disease Risk
Part of the fun lunch is watching a great video or two. You decide which one your
audience would like and how much time you’ve got. Here are video links to use:
- Just a Little Heart Attack (3 min.)
The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement and Emmy-nominated actress
Elizabeth Banks created the short film to educate women about the realities of
heart disease and encourage them to put their health first. The film chronicles
one woman’s experience ignoring her symptoms and putting herself last. Go Red For
Women hopes to engage and inspire women to put their health first and take care
of their heart.
Surprising, but true: More women now die of heart disease than men, yet cardiovascular
research has long focused on men. Pioneering doctor C. Noel Bairey Merz shares
what we know and don’t know about women’s heart health—including the remarkably
different symptoms women present during a heart attack (and why they’re often missed).
- The Real Women of 2012 (2 1/2 min.)
Women in various stages of life tell about their experiences with surviving a heart attack and living with heart disease. Very compelling stories from Go Red 4 Women!
Love Your Heart Talks - Learn about heart attack symptoms, risk factors and heart-healthy habits. Love Your Heart Talks is a 1 ½ hour comprehensive heart health program with PowerPoint, leader talking points, “Heart of the Mountains” video and handouts. For all audiences.
Additional Resources
Churches, synagogues, temples, and all faith-based organizations will find easy ideas on spreading the “Ten Commandments of Heart Health” messages to their congregation.- Faith-Based Activities – Ideas and Resources
- Mini Poster (Fillable PDF)
- Talking Points for Red Dress Sunday
- Ten Commandments