Source: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS)
Author: Claudia Sanchez-Bustamante, MHS Communications
February is Heart Health Month, making it a perfect time to “show some love” to the most-vital organ in your body. In recognition of the observance, the Kenner Army Health Clinic staff encourages Team Lee members to join in the Feb. 4 celebration of National Wear Red Day – an annual event held on the first Friday of the month that allows individuals to express their support for heart health.
Bringing attention to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is a year-round goal of every care provider in the military health system. A good diet, regular exercise, getting enough sleep and maintaining routine medical checkups are the surest ways to reduce the likelihood of heart disease complications.
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women, surpassing all forms of cancer combined. An estimated one-in-four deaths in the U.S. are due to this ailment. About 670,000 Americans die from heart disease each year.
“One person dies from heart disease every 36 seconds,” reads a statistic on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. “[It] does not discriminate. It [affects] men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.”
The term “heart disease” refers to several types of conditions. The most common in the U.S. is coronary artery disease, typically resulting in decreased blood flow, which can cause a heart attack.
Many have heart disease and are not aware of it until a physician’s diagnosis after they experience symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure or arrhythmia. The CDC reports that roughly 1-in-5 heart attacks are silent. The individual does not know damage has occurred. This factor alone should compel people to learn the facts. Additional information is available at
www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm.
For more details see full article
here.
