During the month of February, we encourage all people to take an assessment of their heart health. For starters, ask yourself this simple question. What are you doing to protect your heart?

What is heart disease?

Heart disease is the “umbrella” term for many diseases of the heart. This includes congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, angina, heart attack, heart failure, and arrhythmias. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease which affects the flow of blood to the heart. When this happens, a heart attack can follow.

The statistics

• Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950 and remains the leading cause of death today.
• Every 34 seconds someone in the United States dies from heart disease.
• Over 800,00 people have a heart attack every year.
• One out of every five heart attacks are silent.
• Heart disease costs the United States billions in healthcare dollars annually.

Heart health

The American Heart Association recommends the following eight ways to keep your heart healthy.

• Follow a heart-healthy diet
• Stay active during the day
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood pressure
• Maintain blood sugar
• Get enough sleep
• Avoid smoking

My heart score

Want to check out the health of your heart? Try My Life Check .  This is a quick and easy way to assess your heart health. First click the link, then sign-up and answer a few simple questions. This tool can help you better determine your heart health and understand your risk for heart disease.

Rock the RED!

Friday, February 3, 2023, is National Wear Red Day.  During this time, we encourage all people to wear red to raise awareness about heart disease to help save lives.

Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022, July 12). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/index.htm
American Heart Association (2022, July 1). Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8

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