A Month to Take Heart

Op-Ed

A Month to Take Heart

By the end of this month, we will have watched the Giants and the Patriots duke it out in Super Bowl XLII, celebrated a Tuesday that was both super and fat, wished Lincoln and Washington a happy birthday, and dined with our sweeties on Valentine's Day-all events that, for me at least, included fattening food, and lots of it. When fighting the temptation to over-indulge, it is important to keep in mind that February is also American Heart Month.

Over 40 years ago, the Congress designated the month of February as American Heart Month to draw attention to cardiovascular disease (both heart disease and stroke), which is one of the deadliest diseases in America. This year, as part of American Heart Month, the American Heart Association has joined once again with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health to launch ‘Go Red for Women,' a nationwide campaign to raise awareness regarding the incidence and effects of cardiovascular disease in women.

Heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular disease continue to be the number one killer in the United States. In women, heart disease and stroke are the number one and three killers of women. In fact, cardiovascular disease claims more women's lives than the next seven causes of death combined with nearly 500,000 women succumbing to heart and heart-related diseases each year.

As the population continues to age, the number of deaths from these diseases will have a greater effect, both emotionally and financially. The American Heart Association estimates that the combined direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular diseases exceed $286 billion annually.

Our nation's healthcare is one of my top priorities, and one of the most pressing issues facing West Virginians today is heart disease. It seems that everyone knows someone-a relative, a friend, a coworker-who suffers from the disease. According to statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2007, the West Virginia population has a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and smoking-related illnesses. In fact, the state has the highest proportion of people with heart disease in the nation.

There are several causes of heart disease: heredity, high cholesterol, tobacco usage, obesity, high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, lack of regular exercise, a high-fat diet or emotional stress. Seeing your doctor and getting a physical is the best way to determine your risk for heart disease. I encourage everyone to use American Heart Month as an opportunity to take a friend, relative or yourself to the doctor and determine what steps can be taken to live a longer, healthier life.

The American Heart Association is a great source of information on preventing, diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease. Their information is available at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000 or at 1-800-AHA-USA-1.

In the interest of good health, we must make a special effort this month to recognize these causes of heart disease, and work hard to safeguard our heart, and our lives. We must focus on healthy lifestyles, including eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and, as Cicero suggests, let moderation be our guide.

So before you reach for the buffalo wings or sneak another piece of chocolate, try to keep in mind their affects on your heart and your health. Heart disease is something we should be mindful of all year long, but especially during American Heart Month.

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