We know Heart Health Month is officially focused on your healthy heart, and FLASS is here to help. Did you know American Heart Health Month is a federally designated event? That’s right, heart health is such a national crisis that awareness of it is federally supported.
February, with its lovely Valentine designs, is an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their hearts and encourage them to involve their families, friends, and communities. Heart symbols do not go away after Valentine’s Day. So keep those heart signs going for the rest of the month. And do not hesitate to wear red, as in the famous Red Dress crusade.
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Your Heart and Your Lungs Make a Perfect Pairing
FLASS believes that without good lung health, a heart can get a little bit lost or wasted. Thus, a healthy heart is vitally connected to good lung health. Respiratory and Circulatory systems work together strongly and cleanly, by divine design. Let’s take a little historical perspective on Heart Health Awareness:
We’ve posted about this previously, but let’s take another look at how February became American Heart Health Month:
- Heart Health Awareness Fact 1: The first American Heart Month, which took place in February 1964, was proclaimed by President Lyndon B. Johnson by Proclamation 3566 on December 30, 1963.
- Heart Awareness Fact 2: The Congress, by joint resolution on that date, historically requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month.
- Heart Awareness Fact 3: At that time, more than half the deaths in the U.S. were caused by cardiovascular disease.
While American Heart Month is a federally designated month in the United States, it’s important to realize that cardiovascular disease knows no borders. Did you know that cardiovascular disease remains the leading global cause of death?
Globally, there are 17.9 million people who can’t answer that question because they passed away from heart attacks and strokes, just within the last year. That is the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease each year.
In 2019 Hearts Are Still On Fire with Awareness
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According to statistical probabilities, that horrifying global number noted above will rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030. Today’s statistics continue to present terror. Do you know someone in your circle of friends or relatives who died of a heart attack this year? Suddenly, and without warning or slowly, in spite of constantly evolving medicines—yes, it can happen either way, but it happens.
Live a Healthy Life-Style and Prevent Heart Disease
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Chances are, we all know someone affected by heart disease or stroke. Why? That’s because about 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day. Do you realize, that means an average of 1 death every 38 seconds?
Although the National “Wear Red” for Hearts Day was Feb. 1, the big awareness changes are not about your wardrobe. On the one hand, wearing red might help spread awareness. On the other hand, the message to friends, family, and ourselves is to Live Healthily.
Learning to Live in Heart-Healthy World
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The biggest part of living healthy comes down to simply making healthy choices. Now know you cannot change your age or your genetics. Your family history is already pre-set, but some choices are still yours to make:
- Even a small change in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease.
- If you also add a regular exercise regime, then you can improve your heart health.
- Thus, your lungs function better at the same time. Finally, statistics have proven lifestyle changes can actually lower your risk of heart disease by 80 percent or more.
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FLASS Good News: What’s Good for Heart Health is also Good for Lungs–Top Tips
Some of our heart issues are woven into our DNA, but some we can control.
Save your own life and avoid becoming a heart disease statistic by deciding that this is the day and time you will get serious about reducing your chances of getting heart disease.
Alert! Heart Health Requires a Blood Pressure Monitor
Did you know high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease? Of course, you knew. However, this note reminds you to check your blood pressure regularly.
A Special FLASS Caution: Watch out for Ugly Cholesterol
“High levels of cholesterol can clog your arteries and raise your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack.” Did you know you can look fairly thin, but have “fat” blood, due to high triglycerides? This online resource will show you what it looks like and teach you how to fight it.
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Lungs and Hearts Demand Regular Exercise:
- Exercise has many benefits, including strengthening your heart and improving your circulation.
- Exercise automatically helps you maintain your best weight.
- Moreover, with physical activity, you can t and lower your weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Lowering any or all of these can lower your risk of heart disease, and they are all remarkably good for your lungs.
Heart and Lungs crave physical activity. Neither Hearts Nor Lungs Need Cigarettes or Cigarette Smoke:
If you do not smoke, FLASS implores you not to start. If you do smoke, we want you to understand that quitting will lower your risk for heart disease.
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FLASS: On a Mission for Heart Health
Because we are “into” pulmonology specialties and concerned about lung diseases here at FLASS does not mean we are not concerned about cardiology. We are well aware of what smoking can do to your heart, and quitting can lower your risk of heart disease as well as numerous lung diseases.
FLASS advises you to talk with your health care provider or call FLASS for help in finding the best way for you to quit.
In Our Next Blog–More to Come…
To All Our Dear Readers: Thank you very much for checking out our blog here at FLASS in Central Florida. Please peruse our other pages for more information and news you can use about your respiratory system.
Our next blog will bring you more celebratory information for this Month of Hearts, plus more tips on reducing your risk of heart disease. Seriously, some of this will be great information you might not know about heart disease awareness.
Our Heartfelt Note of the Week…
Likewise, if you or a loved one suffers from emphysema, and you haven’t heard about the amazing Zephyr valve yet, we have more wonderful information for you. Meanwhile, check out our previous blog on that topic. And remember, take a moment to just breathe.