American Heart Month has been observed since 1963, when it was established by President Johnson to raise awareness around “heart and blood-vessel diseases” and to help address them.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, across racial and ethnic groups.
As of 2022, one in every five deaths was due to heart disease, with a death every 34 seconds.
Heart disease is responsible for more deaths each year in the United States than both cancer and accidental deaths (the number two and three causes of death, respectively) combined.
Heart disease is also costly, with related health care, medication, and lost productivity totaling over $250 billion between 2019 and 2020.
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease, and five percent of adults over the age of 20 have the condition. Heart attacks are also prevalent in the United States, affecting 805,000 people each year.
Having a family history of heart disease can put people at higher risk, and this risk increases with age.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking or not getting enough exercise, can also increase risk.
While some risk factors cannot be changed, there are lots of steps you can take to lower your likelihood of developing heart disease.
These include:
- Being active every day: Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your blood pressure, and lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Aiming for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) and 75 minutes of vigorous activity (like running) per week, as well as strength training twice a week, is recommended for heart disease prevention. However, any amount of activity can help reduce your risk!
- Not smoking or using tobacco: Tobacco use can damage the blood vessels and heart by reducing blood oxygen levels and raising the heart rate and blood pressure. Quitting smoking has immediate benefits for heart health. One day after quitting, the risk of heart disease starts to decrease, and after a year, heart disease risk decreases by half.
- Getting enough sleep and managing stress: Lack of sleep can increase the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night can help prevent these conditions and lower heart disease risk. Reducing stress levels can reduce blood pressure, and managing stress through exercise or relaxation techniques can reduce heart disease risk.
- Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight: A diet made up of fruit and vegetables, lean meat and fish, whole grains, beans and legumes, and healthy fats (like olive oil) can reduce heart disease risk. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and losing weight can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Getting regular check-ups: This includes having your blood pressure checked at least once every two years starting at age 18 (or once a year if you have risk factors for heart disease or are over the age of 40), having your cholesterol checked at least once every five years (or annually if you’re over the age of 65 or are at higher risk), and type 2 diabetes screening, every 3 years starting at age 45 (or sooner if you have risk factors).
American Heart Month is also a great time to get CPR certified, if you haven’t done so already!
Knowing CPR can help save a life. Each year in the United States, over 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest, outside of the hospital.
In cases where the patient received CPR immediately, their chances of survival tripled.
If you live on or near a base, you may be able to become CPR certified there.
The American Heart Association also offers CPR training; you can find a list of both U.S. and international locations here.
This American Heart Month and the rest of the months of 2025, show your love for your family, friends, and yourself by taking care of your heart!
*For more from MAX WELLNESS, check out Heather’s Blog Page!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/risk-factors/index.html
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