Earlier this year, we introduced you to the determined group of women who would carry on the torch for the Parkview Heart Institute’s Her Heart Challenge program. Each participant had a different story, a different motivation and different goals, but, as we discovered, they shared a fierce ambition for change. Now graduates, the women are celebrating improvements to their health and making plans for lasting habits.

The results

“It is the well-being score changes that I am most excited about,” Jill Zahm, MSN, RN, AHN-BC, program coordinator, Parkview Heart Institute, said. “The improvements we saw in this score were not a point or two for the most part. I saw increases in the 10s and 20s, which is huge. While hard data numbers, like cholesterol, are important, the well-being scores excite me because they reflect what’s at the core of the Her Heart Challenge – learning to love yourself and say, ‘Yes, I am worth taking time for my health,’ and in turn, all those other measurements will begin to improve.”

Each participant came to the challenge with different risk factors, some with multiple issues. After their final weigh ins and set of screenings, the women had proof of their efforts. As a group, the final tallies revealed:

• 95% increased their well-being score
• 67.4 total pounds lost
• A1C reduced in 50% of those with elevated levels
• Cholesterol reduced in 62% of those with elevated levels
• Triglycerides reduced in 87% of those with elevated levels

“When we’re talking about numbers, the most important ones to know are these: 1 in 3 women die of heart disease every year, but it’s 80 percent preventable,” Jill said. “There is no other magic number. It’s not just your weight, cholesterol, glucose or A1C. Prevention is about managing a healthy lifestyle overall.”

Join the next class

Are you ready for the challenge? Submit an application for the 2019 Her Heart Challenge today.