February is American Heart Month, and with good reason – not so much because of Valentine’s Day – but because of what makes us all tick: the human heart.
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDoH) reports about 4000 New Mexicans die every year from heart disease and stroke. Heart disease for years has consistently been the first or second leading cause of death among both women and men in New Mexico annually. Stroke has been the 5th leading cause.
Meanwhile nationwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death; one in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Suffice to say our hearts are something we need to take care of not just in love, but life itself.
NMDoH is proud to highlight two national programs: The Million Hearts® Initiative is a national effort launched by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in 2011. Public and private partners nationwide, and here in New Mexico, are dedicated to preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017 and empowering communities to make healthy choices.
This Friday, February 5, is National Wear Red Day. For over a decade, the American Heart Association (AHA) has partnered with healthcare providers and community members to prevent heart disease and stroke. Events are held to raise awareness about health risks, especially in women. According to AHA, heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among American women each year – more than all cancers combined. A favorite red dress, red shirt, or red tie and an explanation of why you’re wearing it can help urge everyone around you to protect their hearts.
The good news is that heart disease and stroke are preventable. State and local governments, communities, health professionals and families can all work together to create healthy places for New Mexicans to live, work, and play.
The New Mexico Department of Health encourages you to see your primary care provider for proper identification and management. You can control many risk factors, which may help prevent or delay heart disease such as:
· High blood pressure
· Smoking and second hand smoke exposure
· Diabetes and prediabetes
· High cholesterol
· Unhealthy diet
· Physical inactivity
· Being overweight or obese
· Excessive alcohol use
There are even other factors to consider:
· Older age. In men, the risk for coronary heart disease increases starting at age 45. In women, the risk for coronary heart disease increases starting at age 55.
· A family history of early coronary heart disease is a risk factor for developing coronary heart disease, specifically if a father or brother is diagnosed before age 55, or a mother or sister is diagnosed before age 65.
So please protect yourself and your loved ones from heart disease and stroke by understanding the risks and taking these steps – and send a message to everyone around you about the dangers of heart attacks and strokes by not just wearing red this Friday, but telling them why you’re doing it!
To learn more about Million Hearts®, visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/learn-prevent/index.html. You can find additional details about National Wear Red Day at https://www.goredforwomen.org/wear-red-day/ and about heart disease in New Mexico at https://nmtracking.org/en/health_effects/cardio_heartattack/.
Manage your heart health, and assure you’ll be around and healthy for many Valentine’s Days to come!