The month of February has been observed as American Heart Month since 1963, when the American Heart Association worked closely with Congress requiring the President to raise public awareness and education regarding heart disease. Heart disease is the chief cause of death in the United States, with coronary heart disease (CHD) being the most common form, often appearing as a heart attack.
The goal of American Heart Month is to increase public awareness and knowledge of cardiovascular disease, encourage fundraising efforts for research, and promote ways to benefit from a heart-healthy lifestyle. It is valuable to know how to decrease your risk of developing CHD, as well as understand how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
Genetics and other uncontrolled medical conditions may increase your chances of heart distress. However, there are some risk factors we can manage, such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, high cholestrol, and a sedentary daily life. Transforming an inactive, unhealthy lifestyle into an active, healthy one can be difficult at first if you cannot find the motivation to do it. On the other hand, possibly you have a family member or friend who needs a helping hand, and maybe you're the one who can inspire them.
Sadly, it is when an unhealthful standard of living becomes life-threatening that a person may find the course of action needed to reduce their chance of heart disease. I have seen this happen to someone very close to me. When their uncontrolled weight and physical inactivity led to them being prescribed medication for hypertension and prediabetes, they realized that it was time for a lifestyle makeover. Healthy eating habits and daily exercise led them to lose over sixty pounds, maintain a healthy blood pressure, and is no longer prediabetic; they are also no longer on the prescribed medications.
As a nation, we must become healthier not only to obtain and maintain and long, wholesome life, but to teach our children healthy living habits. In the United States, approximately 17% of children and teenagers are obese. We must live by example, as well as let our children know where they can find resources to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I am proud of my 12-year old niece. She is so aware of the dangers of too much fat, sugar and salt. She almost never eats fast food, indulges in a dessert on occasion, and would choose fruit over cake at a party. Her favorite food is sushi, and her favorite snack is pretzels; all in moderation. She normally reads the nutrition facts before she eats something. And she is physically active on a daily basis, whether it's playing a sport, at dance class, or walking to a friend's house (or dancing around in her room!).
Wear red as often as you can during the month of February, and let everyone know why!
If you are interested in learning CPR, consider taking a class!
