DHEC Promotes Heart Health for American Heart Month
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The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is emphasizing the significance of adopting a heart-smart lifestyle to foster a healthy and robust heart during American Heart Month this February. Heart disease, identified as the primary cause of death and disability in the United States, claims approximately 695,000 lives annually, as per DHEC officials.
In South Carolina, heart disease emerged as the leading cause of death in 2021, resulting in 12,210 fatalities. Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC director, expresses concern about the disparities in heart health outcomes across the state and emphasizes the agency's commitment to providing information, tools, and resources to improve heart health for all residents.
Dr. Martha Gulati, president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, recommends adopting a plant-based diet, emphasizing a selection of foods that incorporate various fruits, plants, and proteins. Dr. Gulati underscores the importance of healthy habits, such as reducing alcohol consumption, limiting salt and processed food intake, and ensuring adequate sleep.
Highlighting major risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking, DHEC recommends specific steps for maintaining a healthy heart. These include quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, regular health screenings, limiting alcohol use, adhering to prescribed medications, managing diabetes, adopting a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-salt diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and incorporating heart-healthy habits.
Virginie Daguise, director of DHEC’s Bureau of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, underscores the pivotal role of a healthy lifestyle in promoting heart health. Encouraging individuals to take proactive steps to minimize or eliminate risk factors, DHEC emphasizes the potential impact of small changes on heart health.
Despite heart disease being a leading cause of death for women, almost half of U.S. women remain unaware of this fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). African American South Carolinians are noted to be more predisposed to heart disease risk factors, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. DHEC officials urge all South Carolinians to initiate at least one new heart-healthy habit in the ongoing year.
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