Did You Know That...

The average RDA for vitamin C or ascorbic acid is 60 mg daily to combat diseases caused by deficiency. Smokers are recommended to daily take 95 mg or more because they are under oxidative stress from the toxins in cigarette smoke. Most fruits and vegetables contain plenty of vitamin C, an antioxidant.

Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the No. 1 cause of death in American women, claiming about 455,000 lives each year, or nearly one death each minute.

CVD is largely preventable. One study found that if women adhere to five lifestyle choices involving diet, exercise, and non-smoking, 82% of coronary events can be prevented.

Women tend to develop CVD later in life than men, and their outcomes are often worse. An exception is women smokers, who die of a heart attack caused by smoking earlier than men.

In 2009, one of the CVDs, heart disease, is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion, including health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
--American Heart Association