How to Talk About Heart Disease to the General Public

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease costs in the United States total $304.6 billion, including pharmaceuticals, surgery and hospital stays, among other things. Since heart disease is worsening, it's obvious that the public needs stronger messages.

Things You'll Need

• Presentation outline
• Slides
• Handouts

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Instructions

• 1

  Discuss how the heart works when it's healthy. Give a few details to help the public understand that a healthy heart is achievable. Take handouts and pass them around. Also show overheads or slides of the human heart so that your audience can follow along.

• 2

  Tell your audience, in simple terms, what constitutes heart disease and how it occurs. Describe in layman's terms just what it means when the heart is diseased. Add information on which lifestyle choices are commonly associated with heart disease. Also, outline the progression of heart disease and/or how long it might take to develop it.

• 3

  Supply statistics on heart disease to inform your group of its seriousness. Discuss, for instance, that according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Stress that women no longer can afford to believe this disease happens only to high octane, workaholic, middle managers in Corporate America: More than half the people who die of heart disease are women.

• 4

  Talk about those lifestyle choices that lead to heart disease: how you eat, live and work. Note that you are more likely to get heart disease if you smoke, have high cholesterol or lead a sedentary lifestyle.

• 5

  Provide hope by offering tips and suggestions on prevention. Let your audience know that they have some control over this disease if they take responsibility for their own well-being. Show slides that illustrate the benefits of living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

• 6

  Summarize briefly the main points of your public awareness presentation, reiterating your points about prevention and lifestyle change. Drive your message home with one last handout on prevention and wellness.