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Taking Steps Toward a Healthier Heart (posted February 5, 2025).png)
By Adam Behnke, Communications Specialist for BCPH
American Heart Month is observed in the United States every year during the month of February. It dates to 1964, when Lyndon B. Johnson established the observance by presidential proclamation. The intention is to bring awareness to heart disease and the steps a person can take for better heart health. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Despite this fact, there is a lot you can do to protect your heart and avoid severe illness. This edition of the Healthy Herald aims to educate how you can keep this vital organ working well and inspire you to continue spreading the message of heart health to those you know.
Why American Heart Month is Important
The traditional American Heart Month proclamation by the president typically includes three main points:
- Designates February as American Heart Month.
- Invites the chief executive officers of the States, territories, and possessions of the United States to issue proclamations designating February as American Heart Month.
- Urges the people of the United States to recognize the nationwide problem of heart and blood vessel diseases and to support all essential programs required to solve the problem.
Understanding Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease is defined as any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. It can take many forms, but the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD), which is when blood flow to the heart is diminished by the buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart. About 5% of all adults over the age of 20 in the U.S. have CAD. In Wisconsin, about 316,000 people have coronary heart disease, which can frequently manifest as chest pain, shortness of breath, or heart attack.
Heart attack
- In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.
- Every year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack.
- Of these, 605,000 are a first heart attack, and 200,000 happen to be people who have already had a heart attack.
- About 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it.
Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease. Key risk factors for heart disease include:
- High blood pressure
- High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. It is a medical condition that happens when the pressure of the blood in your arteries and other blood vessels is too high. The high pressure, if not controlled, can affect your heart and other major organs of your body, including your kidneys and brain.
- High cholesterol
- Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver or found in certain foods. Your liver makes enough for your body's needs, but we often get more cholesterol from the foods we eat. If we take in more cholesterol than the body can use, the extra cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries, including those of the heart.
- LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
- Considered to be "bad" cholesterol because it can cause plaque buildup in your arteries.
- HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
- Considered to be "good" cholesterol because higher levels provide some protection against heart disease.
- LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
- Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver or found in certain foods. Your liver makes enough for your body's needs, but we often get more cholesterol from the foods we eat. If we take in more cholesterol than the body can use, the extra cholesterol can build up in the walls of the arteries, including those of the heart.
- Smoking
- Tobacco use increases the risk for heart disease and heart attack. Cigarette smoking can damage the heart and blood vessels, and nicotine raises blood pressure. Carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. Exposure to secondhand smoke can also increase the risk for heart disease, even for nonsmokers.
Tips for a Healthier Heart
The American Heart Association and CDC suggest several ways in which you can prevent heart disease:
- Know your risk. Knowing your risk can help you make lifestyle changes.
- Eat a healthy diet. Start making healthy choices that include daily vegetables and less processed foods.
- The CDC also encourages you to limit your salt intake to lower your blood pressure, and to limit sugar consumption to lower your blood sugar level to prevent or control diabetes.
- Be physically active. Move more – it’s one of the best ways to stay healthy, prevent disease, and age well.
- For adults, the Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week. Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.
- Watch your weight. Stay at a healthy weight for you, which is best achieved through diet and exercise.
- Get quality sleep and reduce stress. Not getting enough sleep or regularly getting poor quality sleep increases the risk of having high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.
- Practicing meditation, being more physically active, doing relaxation therapy, and talking with someone you trust can help you cope with stress and sleep better.
- Set a regular bedtime and avoid eating late at night.
Aside from taking steps to improve your personal heart health, there is plenty you can do to advance the cause during American Heart Month and any time of year!
- Learn CPR
- The American Heart Association has what it calls a Nation of Lifesavers: people who are CPR certified and ready to render first aid any time someone experiences a cardiac event. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival! You can browse their in-person course catalogue or online courses to learn more. The AHA also encourages those trained in CPR to teach your family and friends at home. Plus, everyone should be familiar with Hands-Only CPR, which can be learned in just 60 seconds by viewing this training video.
- Volunteer your time
- The American Heart Association has also compiled ways for someone to volunteer for the cause of better heart health. This includes corporate volunteer opportunities and founding Heart Clubs at high school and college campuses.
- Participate in Wear Red Day
- You can also draw attention to heart health by participating in the upcoming Wear Red Day on Friday, February 7, 2025. By wearing the color commonly associated with the heart, you can bring greater attention to heart disease as a leading cause of death for Americans.
- Donate to a Cause
- Aside from donating time and effort, you can also lend a financial hand by donating to heart health organizations. Examples of worthy causes include The American Heart Association, American Red Cross, and Children’s Heart Foundation.
During this American Heart Month, Brown County Public Health urges you to take steps toward a healthier heart. Even small changes for the better can improve long-term outcomes. Keep the engine of your body firing on all cylinders by committing to making at least one change that benefits your heart. Your future self will thank you!
Stay Healthy, Brown County!
Resources
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/heart-month/about
https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/index.html
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/heart-truth/lets-work-together-prevent-heart-disease
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living
https://www.heart.org/en/nation-of-lifesavers
https://cpr.heart.org/en/course-catalog-search
https://shopcpr.heart.org/courses/heartsaver-cpr-aed?audience=59&format=88
https://cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/hands-only-cpr
https://www.heart.org/en/volunteer
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-month/wear-red-day