While it’s the shortest month of the year, February has many significant events and celebrations including Valentine’s Day and Groundhog Day. February is also Black History Month, a time to educate ourselves and others about black history. However, one event that is often overlooked during this time is Healthy Heart Month, or American Heart Month, a time to encourage others to adopt healthy heart behaviors. In February of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was a heart attack survivor, declared the first American Heart Month, addressing cardiovascular disease. 

You probably hear about these diseases and think, “I’m young, I’ll be okay,” but heart disease affects more people than you think. Along with being the number one killer in Americans, 1 in 3 women are diagnosed with heart disease annually. According to the Center for Disease and Control, in 2019 alone, 523.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease were reported worldwide (26.6% increase over 2010), and of that, 18.6 million people died (17.1% increase in the past decade). In fact, nearly 805,000 Americans will have a heart attack this year; that’s one every 40 seconds. Not only does heart disease affect the patient, it also affects their loved ones. Nobody wants to see someone they care about suffer. 

With COVID-19, we have to be especially careful of our cardiovascular health, given that the virus attacks the heart and vascular system, making people with pre-existing heart conditions more susceptible to infection. Since people are stuck at home with nothing to do, many have resorted to binge eating and drinking. People are also less inclined to workout since many gyms are closed, further diminishing their cardiovascular health. Not to mention, those with poor vascular health are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19, so during this time, people often delay going to the hospital after having a stroke or heart attack in fear of catching the virus. 

While part of preventing heart disease is spreading awareness, the main goal of American Heart Month is to motivate Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. With the pandemic, this year’s American Heart Month will look different from that of the past years. Although there are no big events promoting vascular health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggested fun, impactful activities we can do safely. To further spread awareness, they encouraged people to wear red on the first day of February and post a picture of themselves doing something to prevent heart disease with #ourheart. They also suggest we have a step contest between friends, family members, co-workers, etc. to promote cardiovascular health and a healthy lifestyle. 

Heart disease prevention doesn’t need to only be in the month of February, however. There are many simple things we can incorporate into our lifestyle that can prevent heart disease, or at least catch it early. A few easy ways is to have a balanced diet, get screened regularly for heart disease, and exercise. Exercise doesn’t necessarily mean going to the gym or going on a run – it could be simply jogging in place while watching TV or doing a few push ups before your next class. Taking care of your cardiovascular health doesn’t have to be a chore, but rather a fun challenge to keep in the back of your mind. 

While American Heart Month is coming to a close and most events have already occurred, one thing that you could do to support the cause is to donate, or encourage others to donate to one of the nonprofits listed below. Instead of buying your morning coffee, donate those few dollars to nonprofits who will use that money to help others and potentially save lives. No donation is too small, and you could change someone’s life with it. 

Nonprofits: 

American Heart Association: helping to prevent heart disease in women

Masonic Medical Research Institute: researching to find treatments and cures for heart disease

WomenHeart: preventing heart disease in women through advocacy, education, and patient support

American Stroke Association: focusing on education, services, community-based activities in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery