February is American Heart Month, a time to pay special attention to understanding, preventing and treating heart disease—the leading cause of death in the United States.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), heart disease risk factors include lack of physical activity, family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, prediabetes/diabetes, and obesity. Black and African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native individuals are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
Understanding risk factors for heart disease and how to live a heart-healthy lifestyle are a part of practicing self-care for #OurHearts. There are many ways to take action towards better heart health:
- Increase physical activity
- Eat a heart-healthy diet
- Track your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol
- Get quality sleep
- Reduce stress
- Stop smoking
- Maintain a healthy weight
Every year, thousands of people with heart disease and those who suffered stroke are at increased risk of serious complications from vaccine-preventable infections. Vaccines of particular importance for people with heart disease include:
- COVID-19
- Influenza
- Pneumococcal
- Zoster
Visit CDC’s American Heart Month Toolkits 2023 main page for resources you can use to help encourage people to reduce risks for cardiovascular disease. To promote the importance of heart health, use the hashtags #HeartMonth and #OurHearts on social media and share heart-healthy living tips from NHLBI. Learn more.
Local Resources
ND – Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Program
ND – NDC3-Connecting You to Community Health Programs
SD – Department of Health: Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
SD – Better Choices Better Health