Now accepting Telehealth appointments. Schedule a virtual visit.

February is Heart Health Awareness Month

PrimeCare Medicine Blog February is Heart Health Awareness Month

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) includes coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, peripheral artery disease, and heart failure. They are known as the number one cause of death in adults in America. As alarming as this may sound, CVD is preventable and controllable with small changes made in your everyday life.

Major Risk Factors include:

In order to prevent cardiovascular disease take the following steps:

  1. Control high blood pressure- Lower salt intake, avoid drinking too much alcohol and stop smoking.
  2. Maintain a healthy diet- Start by including some fruits, vegetables, fish, and fiber including cereal.
  3. Exercise- Include 20-30 minutes of moderate-intensity daily or 150 minutes per week.
  4. Smoking Cessation- smoking not only increases the risks of CVD, but cancer as well.
  5. Diabetic Control- increase physical activity, control blood, pressure, lipids and glucose levels.

Those with more risk factors such as being diabetic or a smoker increases their risk of CVD. 90% of strokes are due to risk factors that can be reduced by changing one’s lifestyle and behaviors.

You Might Also Enjoy...

Diabetes Awareness Month
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Every year the American Diabetes Association focuses on a campaign to educate Americans about diabetes. This year in 2022, the ADA’s campaign is “Diabetes Hits Different”.

Breast Cancer Awareness
This month we are spreading awareness on breast cancer. Breast cancer can start in different parts of the breast, but it is important to remember that most breast lumps are benign and not cancerous.

Chronic Pain
During the month of September, we want to bring awareness to chronic pain. Nearly 20 million Americans experience chronic pain. Chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month
In August we are observing National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). After the past two years, we are all too familiar with vaccinations. We would like to highlight the importance of getting the recommended vaccines including the COVID-19 booster.

July
Healthy People 2030 is focusing on preventing and treating infectious diseases. Therefore, it is imperative that children and at-risk adults get recommended vaccinations to prevent infections such as measles, flu, and hepatitis A and B.