February is National Heart Month

By David A. Johnson MD, Medical Director, Signature Care

Thursday, February 2nd, 2006; Posted: 4:15 p.m.

To increase awareness of heart disease, February is National Heart Month. February 3rd is designated as National Wear Red Day, as Americans nationwide wear red to show support for women’s heart disease awareness. In the U.S., cardiovascular disease is still the #1 cause of death overall and in people age 65 and older. It is the #2 cause of death in persons under age 14 and from 25-64, and the #4 cause of death from ages 15-24.

The good news is that chances of heart problems decrease dramatically with lifestyle changes. Healthier diet, weight loss, smoking cessation, exercise, and regular checkups can all make an enormous impact in reducing the chances of cardiac disease. Our nation’s eating and exercise habits have worsened to a point that obesity is one of the greatest health issues that we face, and one directly related to the rate of heart disease.

Be aware of the warning signs of a heart attack. Most everyone is familiar with chest pain as a warning sign, but a surprisingly large number of people ignore chest pain or attribute it to other causes such as heartburn or muscle pain. Some warning signs are not the typical chest pain. Jaw pain, elbow pain, and fatigue can in some cases be related to heart issues. When in doubt, check with your doctor.

For many people, the physical processes leading to a heart attack are completely silent and show no symptoms at all. Most importantly, for about one-third of people with heart disease, the very first sign is death ! Regular check-ups, screening tests such as cholesterol, blood sugars, and blood pressure often indicate the first signs of heart disease. Additional testing may be in order for those with specific cardiac risk factors. The main point of preventative medicine and health screening is to find potential problems before they become life threatening.

Heart attacks usually are not an isolated occurrence but rather the end result of a long process. We can identify and positively affect this process through our choices and our actions. National Heart Month reminds us that we have the power to improve our health, but we must make a genuine effort to achieve positive changes.