| The death rate among young American husbands | | | | 1. No man has to be overweight. He can rid |
| under forty, has been characterized by Dr. Henry | | | | himself of pounds with exercise and diet. |
| L. Russek, of the United States Public Health | | | | 2. No man has to have a high cholesterol level. |
| Service, with the well turned phrase, "The Gray | | | | Heart saver eating, exercise, the avoidance of |
| Flannel Coffin." Dr. Russek highlighted the plight of | | | | mental and emotional stress can bring it down. |
| the ambitious young business man trying to "keep | | | | 3. High blood pressure can almost always be |
| up with the Jonses." He carefully pointed out that | | | | lowered with the newwonder drugs which have |
| they should watch their fat intake; but he dwelled | | | | been developed. Comparatively few cases of |
| on pressures by which they are met in trying to | | | | certain refractory types resist present day |
| succeed. | | | | medication, and these soon may be brought under |
| Without doubt, the coronary menace seems to | | | | control. |
| be spearheaded by one directive: TARGET: MEN! | | | | The average, run-of-the-mill cases of high blood |
| Today, statistically, women have an average life | | | | pressure may be checked by even more simple |
| span that is greater than that of men. | | | | measures, such as a low-sodium diet and better |
| Here is the shocking picture. Up to age 40, | | | | living habits; mainly mental and emotional control. |
| twenty-four times as many men as women | | | | If Mrs. America, by some magic, could get |
| suffer from coronary attacks. From 40 to 50, | | | | husband, aged thirty, to see his doctor once a |
| five times as many men are hit by coronary | | | | year for a medical check-up and a cholesterol |
| attacks. From 50 to 60, it is still two-to-one, but | | | | test, she would at once strike widow-making a |
| from then on it begins to even out. This is entirely | | | | telling blow. If she, here and now, put heart saver |
| different from what it used to be, but healthy | | | | eating and cooking into effect in her home, she |
| eating and good heart care might bring back this | | | | would go a long, long way toward protecting her |
| one phase of the "good old days," when | | | | husband from coronary attack. |
| widow-making didn't proceed with a headlong rush. | | | | Statistics serve a very good purpose if they can |
| As far as our public health records go, it seems | | | | shock us into taking preventive steps. According |
| that, at least for the last hundred years, | | | | to mortality figures compiled by Dr. Norman |
| American women have always lived longer than | | | | Jolliffe, we can estimate that of the 40 million |
| their men. Statistics on the length of life before | | | | husbands now living, up to 21 million will die of |
| the year 1870 are very sparse and fragmentary, | | | | heart and artery disease. The latest statistics |
| but some figures assembled in 1850 indicate that | | | | would indicate clearly that three-quarters of all |
| even at that time, the average life span of | | | | deaths from heart disease are caused by |
| American women was two years longer than that | | | | coronary changes. Thus, it can be calculated that |
| of American men. It is to this much better ratio | | | | at least 16 million of the deaths among husbands, |
| of longevity that we confidently aim to return. | | | | in the days ahead, will be caused by the various |
| There can be no doubt that women are | | | | results of atherosclerosis. |
| biologically stronger than men. In all the animal and | | | | Men are the special targets for coronary disease, |
| insect worlds, the female outlives the male. But | | | | because women are physiologically favored in the |
| let's take the records of the last hundred years, | | | | matter of handling hard fats during their menstrual |
| and grant that women, biologically, have a | | | | years. In theory, this is due to the action of |
| two-year edge. | | | | certain female hormones which help to regulate |
| They are that much hardier than men. | | | | the cholesterol chemistry of the blood. |
| The more you examine all of our mortality | | | | From fourteen until the early forties, women |
| figures, the more you will be forced to agree that | | | | enjoy a measure of immunity to coronary |
| if by some measure we could help men to | | | | disease, perhaps as an aid or concession to |
| escape the ravages of coronary disease in the | | | | child-bearing. This privilege is lost, however, after |
| same degree that women do, we could hope to | | | | menopause. From then on, women are as |
| lengthen the average male life span by as much | | | | susceptible as men. |
| as four years. | | | | As a matter of fact, there is statistical evidence |
| We would surely decrease the frightful rate of | | | | that women are beginning to lose some of this |
| widow-making that goes on in the United States. | | | | specially privileged standing. Since 1940, female |
| Today we are literally and actually mass-producing | | | | death rates from coronary disease have been |
| widows, and the rate has been creeping up every | | | | creeping up, as compared to men. Some point out |
| year. | | | | that more women are working, and running into |
| The chances are that your husband's cholesterol | | | | the tensions associated with business. Others |
| reading will be much higher than it should be. The | | | | stress the fact that many women are less active |
| up-to-date doctor will do the lecturing for you, and | | | | physically, with dozens of labor-saving gadgets to |
| order your husband to eat less fats. | | | | do their housework, and automobiles to take |
| Dr. Paul Dudley White, along with other heart | | | | them off their feet. Increased smoking by |
| specialists, has given us some thought-provoking | | | | women has been implicated. No doubt all these |
| figures: | | | | factors play a part. |
| If your husband has a high cholesterol level, along | | | | There is only one thing we can be sure of. |
| with high blood pressure, his chances of suffering | | | | Women, like men, are enjoying the fruits of the |
| a coronary attack are three times greater than | | | | national prosperity that has been ours since the |
| they would be if "cholesterol" and blood pressure | | | | beginning of World War I. Too, women have been |
| are normal. | | | | eating hard fats in ever-increasing amounts. Even |
| If your husband is overweight, the likelihood of his | | | | if we credit them with a better ability to handle |
| being hit by a coronary attack is multiplied | | | | hard fats, they too have to suffer when they |
| two-and-a-half times. | | | | abuse the privilege. Female coronary and apoplexy |
| If a man has all three of the above handicaps, his | | | | death rates are going to continue to go up-and |
| coronary risk is fourteen times greater than | | | | up-and up-until women get their cholesterol levels |
| normal. Think of that in the light of these three | | | | checked, and at the first sign of trouble, adopt |
| facts: | | | | healthy eating. |