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FEBRUARY 2019 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM

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The 411: Listen to your heart! Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death

for men and women in the United States. This February, celebrate American Heart Month

by checking your numbers—from blood pressure to body mass index (BMI)—as these are

heart disease risk factors that you can treat or control. Learn more at goredforwomen.org.

Logan Tinley has always loved

flying. “My grandfather took me

up in the air when I was 6 or

7, and we did a bunch of flips,”

says the Texas native. “It was

the most wonderful feeling.” By

his junior year of high school,

Tinley had his pilot’s license. So

when he learned two years later

that a family friend, 8-year-old

Ethan Lassiter, had been diag-

nosed with cancer, he knew

how he could help. “I’m lucky

enough to have access to a

plane, so I figured I should

use it,” he says. The Vanderbilt

University sophomore flew

SECRETS TO A GOOD LIFE

Around

the World

in 30 Days

Logan Tinley with the

Mooney plane he flew

around the world; a map

of his route (below)

around the world, touching

down in 19 countries in 30

days to help raise awareness

about pediatric cancer as well

as more than $97,000 for

the Aflac Cancer and Blood

Disorders Center of Children’s

Healthcare of Atlanta. At the

time of his flight, Tinley was the

youngest American to fly solo

around the globe. But his visit

to the hospital was the most

rewarding experience. “Know-

ing that the money is going to

help these kids made every

emotion, every frustration of

the trip worth it,” he says.

KNOW YOUR RISK

f “The biggest myth is that it’s a man’s

disease,” says Dr. Foster. “Heart disease

actually kills more women than men,

because women’s vessels are smaller.

Even the tiniest amount of plaque

buildup is a serious problem in a very

small vessel.”

RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS

f “Women often wait longer to see a

physician because they don’t get the

typical warning signs,” he says. While

chest tightness may signal heart attacks

in men, women often experience sharp

pain and breathlessness that people

generally don’t associate with the heart.

BE PROACTIVE

f Once women turn 40, they should

consider getting a cardiac calcium score.

“We scan your heart to see if you have any

hardening of your arteries. It’s better to

find out at 40 that there might be a risk

than at 60, once you’ve had a heart

attack,” says Dr. Foster. Â

HOUSE CALL

In honor of American Heart Month, interventional

cardiologist Dr. Robert E. Foster shares the

importance of heart health for women

GREAT GEAR

Pulse

Check

Monitor your heart

rate, listen to music,

and track your route

on Fitbit’s newest

water-resistant

smartwatch. Fitbit

Versa, $200; fitbit.com