Heart of the matter

We are fully emerged into February, the month each year when medical professionals and healthcare organizations try to bring more awareness to heart health. While it should be a year-round priority for everyone, February is speci cally aimed at putting a focus on cardiovascular health.

I am extremely proud of my name. To be called “ elma” comes with some pride every time I hear it. You see, I was named after my grandmother who died months before I was born. As I am often told, my grandmother wanted a granddaughter so badly.

I never go to meet her. So, I got the next best thing — her name.

My grandmother was 50 years old when she died of a heart attack. My mom’s side of the family is a mess when it comes to genetic health, but the heart is the biggest concern.

My mom was afraid to turn 50 because of heart issues that owed through her family. When 50 came and went — she was relieved, but she de nitely keeps up with heart testing and taking preventative measures.

For me, now in my 40s, I tend to ask my doctor a lot of questions about my heart. I share a name with a woman I never met because in the 1970s there was a lot less information available to people about heart health.

ere really wasn’t a month aimed speci cally at raising hearth health awareness.

A heart problem can be sneaky, since symptoms can present di erently in every individual. Someone with heart disease or heart failure may not experience the same symptoms as another person with the same condition.

While breast cancer tends to get a lot of attention in terms of women’s health and preventative measures — heart disease is actually a bigger culprit each year.

According to the CDC, despite e orts to increase awareness, only 56% of women recognized heart disease as the top killer. As the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., heart disease was responsible for 314,186 women dying in 2020. at equates to 1 in every 5 female deaths.

For personal reasons I write about women, but in reality, heart disease has a huge e ect on the entire U.S. population.

According to the CDC, one person dies every 34 seconds in the U.S. of cardiovascular disease. In total, 697,000 Americans died in 2020 of heart disease. at equates to 1 in every 5 deaths.

According to the CDC, the term heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions because it all goes toward issues a ecting the blood ow around the heart. Decreased blood ow, for instance, can cause a heart attack.

Sometimes heart disease can go completely unnoticed and undiagnosed until a person su ers from a heart attack, heart failure or arrythmia.

Instead of waiting for something major to happen, health o cials continue to stress the need to be proactive in healthcare, meaning taking preventative measures and tests as directed each year.

For more information on issues of the heart, visit the American Heart Association website at heart.org.

elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

NINA JOSS Community Editor njoss@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Rising above the noise

Starting in 1996 I began living in Highlands Ranch and in 2001 bought a small a condo in Edwards, Colorado. The elevation in Highlands Ranch is about 5,800 feet, and Edwards is just over 7,500 feet. Coming from sea level on the East Coast, it took a little time to acclimate to the elevation. And soon enough all was well and everyone was just fine.

Having spent the past few years traveling back to the East Coast

Letters To The Editor

Don’t be misled on 300

A Feb. 2 letter urging vote “no” on 300 should be carefully examined. Accompanying rationale appears misleading.

People of the USA voice their will in two ways: electing representatives and holding those representatives responsible to represent them. Ballot 300 is not a “back-door” approach to seize power; just one attempt people have made to increase their opportunity to be heard by their representatives.

Ten percent of registered voters’ signatures is the minimum city requires to amend its charter. e charter doesn’t need defending; no one is attacking it. Plus, no small group of people signed the petition bringing Ballot 300 before us all. at same paragraph is incomplete, for its verbiage asserts the o -term election itself would cut required petition signature numbers in half. It would not.

TAYLER SHAW Community Editor tshaw@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com and spending most of my time at sea level again, I knew coming back to Colorado was going to be an adjustment, but since I work out, and have been back skiing, I didn’t think much of it.

Well, what I didn’t realize is that the house I would be living in for five weeks was situated at 10,200 feet. Skiing at 11,000 feet or 12,000 feet never really impacted me be-

SEE NORTON, P15 at a special election for 300 is now required forces nothing but an opportunity for people to vote on the question. If a majority votes “yes,” the required number of signatures would return the city to Colorado’s legislative requirements for citizen ballot access. e reason Ballot Question 300 came about bears repeating. It is the “deaf ear” municipal o cials continue giving residents’ quality of life pleas; meanwhile, continuing to advance the special interests of real estate developers. Costs of this election squarely rest with council itself for refusing to give residents the same opportunity to advance citizen led referenda and initiatives as the State of Colorado grants everyone else. e narrative’s argument actually ips reality on its head. It’s no secret that well funded

SEE LETTERS, P15

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