February is American Heart Month
February 6, 2021
February is American Heart Month. It's a time to raise awareness of cardiovascular health.
The annual effort by the American Heart Association
also comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly not been kind to our hearts.
For example, a recent survey by The Harris Poll
on behalf of the American Psychological Association
shows that U.S. adults are reporting the highest stress levels since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have underlying heart issues, contracting COVID-19 is especially dangerous. In fact -- even for healthy individuals -- the virus may directly invade or inflame the heart muscle and potentially cause damage through lack of oxygen levels, according to doctors at Harvard Medical School.
And unfortunately, local health care professionals are seeing another side effect of the virus among the cardiovascular community.
New data from the American Heart Association shows more than 1 in 4 adults – about 28% – experiencing a heart attack or stroke would rather stay at home than risk getting infected with covid-19 at the hospital. The survey also shows adults who are at risk for cardiovascular disease or stroke are more worried about covid-19 than having a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Carl Horton, a cardiologist for Texas Health Cleburne and Texas Health Physicians Group, said heart attacks and strokes don’t stop for COVID-19. He said heart attack and stroke symptoms are always urgent and the hospital is still the safest place to be.
“They should not delay or worry about contracting COVID-19 in the hospital or emergency room. You're still more likely to die of a heart attack instead of COVID,” he said. “In the cardiology field, we have a saying called ‘time is muscle’. So if you wait in going to the hospital when you have an acute event,
then you can suffer sudden death at home or suffer severe congestive heart failure and lose a lot of heart muscle.”
There's good reason why Horton says you should take your heart seriously, especially for women:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of women, claiming the lives of one in three women. It claims more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined.
Women, especially Black people and Hispanics, are disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke.
CVD kills one woman about every 80 seconds.
New data suggests younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes.
Cardiovascular disease is the no. 1 killer of new moms.
Pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are rising at an alarming rate — and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause.
More younger women than men are having heart attacks.
Doctors said awareness is critical. Starting at age 20, women should consider getting screening for cardiovascular diseases and learn about their family health history.
According to the American Heart Association, 80% of cardiac events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes such as moving more, eating smart and managing blood pressure.
“With COVID, sometimes people eat more because they’re at home. Most patients that I’ve seen have gained anywhere between five and 15 pounds I would say since Covid started,” said Horton. “The food that we take in, it plays a bigger role in our health than a lot of people realize.”
Experts say it’s also important to know your numbers.
Discuss the following personal health numbers with your doctor to help determine risk for heart disease:
Total Cholesterol
HDL (good) cholesterol
Blood pressure
Blood Sugar
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Data shows around 90% of women have one or more of those risk factors for developing heart disease.
To show support for these issues and to encourage women to be aware of the risk factors for heart issues, people are encouraged to wear red this Friday for National Wear Red Day.
Source: NBCDFW
Christopher "Kid" Reid, half of the hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play, is revealing he underwent a heart transplant, speaking about his health condition for the first time on " Good Morning America. " The rapper, who first gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s alongside collaborator Christopher "Play" Martin, spoke with "GMA" co-anchor Michael Strahan in a segment airing Thursday, sharing he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after an emergency room visit last July. Reid said initially, he began experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, which he said he attributed to getting older. "I think sometimes you kinda just chalk it up to, you know, 'I'm gettin' older,' you know, 'The road is harsh,'" he said. Eventually, when his symptoms intensified last summer, Reid said he visited an emergency room, where he received his diagnosis. Reid said he was first given medication to treat the condition, but at a three-week follow-up appointment, his cardiologist grew concerned. "He came in very swollen again, and that is a little unusual in somebody who's been started on treatment, for the swelling to come back that quickly," Erika Jones, Reid's cardiologist, told "GMA." That evening, instead of flying across the country for a performance as Reid had planned, Jones urged him to stay put and ran additional bloodwork. "The blood work confirmed my suspicion. It showed that his heart was failing, and it was starting to affect his other organs," Jones said. Reid said he received a call a few hours after his appointment, urging him to go to the emergency room, where he was rushed to the ICU. Reid was told by doctors that a heart transplant would be his only option, and he was placed on a transplant waitlist. Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Laura Dichiacchio, one of Reid's doctors, told "GMA" that Reid was placed on the transplant waiting list because it was "a kind of life or death situation." Dichiacchio described Reid as "warm" and "incredibly calm." Reid said eight days after being placed on the transplant waitlist, he received a call with the welcome news that he would get a new heart the following evening. Reid said he arrived for the surgery, and seven hours later, he had a new heart. Reid said he plans to cherish his second chance at life, saying, "This thing is ... a beautiful life. It's great. And, you know, I wanna be around for it." He added that he hoped to inspire others, particularly people of color, to put their health first and seek medical attention when things don't feel right. "A lot of times, we don't go because we don't want the bad news, or we too busy just hustlin', trying to make it from day to day," he said. "And we ... feel like we don't got time, or we'll get over it. Well, you might not." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S., about 6.7 million adults aged 20 or older have heart failure, a condition that happens "when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs in your body." The CDC cites hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease as common risk factors for the disease. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, heart failure is a serious condition that requires medical care. Treatment can include heart-healthy lifestyle changes such as lower sodium intake, regular physical activity, and limited alcohol consumption, as well as medication, devices such as a pacemaker, and heart surgery or transplant.
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