February is American heart month and to celebrate it many different health organizations, hospitals, and community services have been publishing different ‘Heart health’ awareness to help to combat heart-related illnesses.

Among the many programs that are being held through all the month, Marshall Medical Center and Cameron Park Community Services District have partnered to provide their fourth annual free Affair of the Heart event on Thursday, February 18 to help the community learn about the causes, preventive measures, and tips to living a heart-healthy life.

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Since 1964, The U.S has been recognizing February as the national heart month after President Lyndon B. Johnson, a heart attack survivor himself, signed a proclamation declaring it.

Senator Dick Durbin, co-chair of the Senate National Institutes of Health (NIH) Caucus, and co-chair of the bi-cameral Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition wrote a post saying there is hope for patients and families affected by heart-related illnesses across the country.

“Last year, the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 provided nearly $42 billion in funding to support research at the NIH, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program,” Durbin wrote in the post.

According to the senator, this increase in funding will support leading research efforts on the incidence, causes prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Many publications have been encouraging people to take control of their own health to help prevent cardiovascular diseases. As adults, we need to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, at least, five days a week and it is a great start to take care of your heart.

Diet is another major factor to keep a healthy life. Rebecca Lewis, in-house RD at HelloFresh, the leading meal kit delivery brand globally, says the best way to keep a for heart-healthy diet is to increase fiber intake and limiting consumption of sodium, saturated and trans fats.

According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, cardiovascular diseases which include heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure is the number one killer of women and men in the United States accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year. It is also the leading cause of disability. 85.6 million Americans are living with cardiovascular diseases or the effects of stroke.

Source: WAFF48