February is American Heart Month and marks an important opportunity to empower men and women to be more mindful of their heart health, know their cardiovascular risk and take action to live longer, healthier lives. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, however cardiovascular diseases continue to be American’s greatest health threat.
Did You Know?
- Heart disease is the most common cause of death for both women and men in the United States, causing about 1 in every 4 deaths
- About half of Americans have at least one of the key risk factors of heart disease (See below)
- One person dies every 37 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease
What are the Key Risk Factors of Heart Disease?
- Age
- Family History
- Gender
- Race
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Obesity
- Physical Inactivity
- Smoking
If you identify with one or more of these factors, you may be at risk of heart disease.
How can you reduce risk?
The first step in reducing risk for heart disease is to know risk levels by getting tested. Heart Health testing from BioReference provides a direct measure of the number and size of lipoprotein particles, and includes measures of inflammatory markers and independent risk factors to provide a complete picture of cardiovascular disease risk. Based on the specific outcomes of the test, your healthcare provider may recommend medications to control certain risk factors and/or suggest lifestyle modifications through physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation. Click here for more information about heart health testing services.
This February, make the commitment to take action towards living a heart-healthier lifestyle and schedule an appointment with your physician to discuss appropriate diagnostic testing.
If you are a physician, click here to become a client so you can begin ordering Heart Health profiles and other diagnostic tests from BioReference today!
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The American Heart Association
