It’s Heart Health Month and Here’s What You Need to Know!

It’s all about hearts during the month of February, from Valentine’s Day to Heart Health Month.  What does Heart Health Month mean? It means that we use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and the ways you can prevent it!

Heart disease is a pretty important topic because it is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. Fortunately enough it is preventable – by making healthy choices and managing health conditions you can live a long healthy life.

• In 2016, heart attacks claimed 114,023 lives nationally. Imagine what the number is internationally.
• Approximately every 40 seconds someone in the US will have a heart attack.
• Between 2013 and 2030, medical costs of Coronary Heart Disease are expected to rise by about 100 percent.
• The estimated annual incidence of heart attack in the US is 720,000 new attacks and 335,000 recurrent attacks. Average age at the first heart attack is 65.6 years for males and 72.0 years for females.
• Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, which kills over 370,000 people annually.
• Heart attacks ($12.1 billion) and Coronary Heart Disease ($9.0 billion) were 2 of the 10 most expensive conditions treated in US hospitals in 2013.

With all that being said, how can you make a difference? Here’s a couple of ideas:

• Make small changes. Encourage your friends and family to make small lifestyle changes such as decreasing their salt intake and replacing it with spices to season their foods. Maybe pick up a new sport to get your heart pumping. And make sure to kick bad habits to the curb, like smoking.
• Get a checkup. Make sure you and your loved ones get an annual checkup. Ask questions about heart health and prevention – doctors are the experts and more than happy to help!
• Spread the word. Raising awareness starts with spreading the word. Start the conversation on your social media platforms. Don’t know how! Easy, just share this blog post and go from there!

Remember, this blog was not meant to scare you off, it is meant to encourage you to make good lifestyle choices and to raise awareness on an important health topic. Don’t limit yourself to just February – make heart health a priority year round.