February is American Heart Month, making this the perfect opportunity to remind all of us about how important it is to take care of our health. First, let’s take a look at the most recent statistics regarding heart disease in America.
- Every year 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined.
- Obesity in both youth and adults is at an all-time high, being the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.
- Nearly 80% of cardiac events can be prevented. However, 72% of Americans don’t consider themselves at risk for heart disease, and 58% put no effort into improving their heart health.
You may consider yourself a healthy person, but it is always better to go the extra step when it comes to our health and wellbeing. Preventing heart disease means maintaining a healthy diet, lowering your high blood pressure and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, participating in physical activity daily, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has fact sheets and resources available as well as a “28 Days Towards a Healthy Heart” challenge that we hope inspires all of you to take small steps every day towards preventing heart disease. So partner up with your spouse, family member, or friend and make sure you are doing your part in keeping your heart healthy!
Sources:
www.heart.org
www.goredforwomen.org
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
