A more gripping life-and-death issue

All of us have been captivated by the heroic efforts of the Flight 1549 crew who landed safely on the Hudson River. Lives were saved, disaster averted. It's an amazing story that deserves our attention.

As American Heart Month, sponsored by the American Heart Association nears an end, please know that there is another equally dramatic story that could be told if more of us took steps to prevent our own personal disaster of a heart attack or stroke. More than 300,000 people each year drop dead of heart disease including thousands in the Chicago area. That's roughly the equivalent of Flight 1549 crashing five times a day, every day for an entire year.

For many of these victims, the first symptom of heart disease was sudden death. There is hope - each of us has the opportunity to prevent a heart or stroke, to improve our quality of life. We can save lives, maybe even our own. The first step is to know your risk of heart disease. We're proud to be part of a nationwide campaign, HeartAware, which is helping tens of thousands of Americans identify their risk of heart disease and connect to needed screenings and services.

This five minute online screening produces a personalized health risk assessment and tells you your estimated percentage chance of developing cardiac disease in the next 10 years. You'll also receive personalized information about your risk factors and specific information on how to reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke and improve your overall health. Please join the thousands across Illinois who have taken the HeartAware test at www.edward.org/heartaware. This five minute test could save your life.

Vince Bufalino, cardiologist, medical director, cardiovascular services, Edward Heart Hospital