This month is dedicated to heart health
By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020
By Cottage Health
When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared “American Heart Month” in February 1964, more than half of the deaths in the United States were caused by cardiovascular disease. Congress then passed a resolution asking the president to declare February “American Heart Month” every year.
Although there have been many advances in heart health and care of patients with cardiovascular disease, it remains the leading cause of death worldwide — an estimated 17.9 million deaths annually.
In the United States, it is estimated that one person succumbs to cardiovascular disease every 38 seconds.
However, there are many simple things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, according to Dr. Jeffrey Frazer, pediatric cardiologist at Cottage Children’s Medical Center.
“Healthy living can be easier than many people think,” he said. “We’ve all heard ‘Eat healthy,’ ‘Exercise,’ but sometimes translating that to our daily lives can seem difficult. We know we should make healthy choices, but healthy choices don’t have to mean that we only eat cabbage and run marathons.”
Cottage offers these heart-healthy tips: