February, American Heart Month, serves as a call to action to better understand, care for, and protect our hearts. By making heart-healthy choices and encouraging others to do the same, we can reduce the prevalence of heart disease and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. This February, take the opportunity to assess your heart health and make small, sustainable changes that can lead to a longer, healthier life.
American Heart Month Communications Toolkit
FromĀ https://www.cdc.gov/
At a glance
February is American Heart Month, a time when all peopleāespecially womenāare encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. This toolkit contains facts and resources that anyone can use to raise awareness about the risks of heart disease and the importance of identifying and managing heart-related health conditions.
Heart disease quick facts
- Heart disease is very common.Ā In the United States,Ā heart disease is the leading cause of deathĀ for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.1Ā In 2022, 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States was caused by heart disease.12
- High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease.Ā Nearly half of U.S. adults haveĀ high blood pressure, which puts them at risk for heart disease and stroke. And just 1 in 4 people with high blood pressure has it under control.3
- Heart disease is costly. The cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity from heart disease amounted to $252.2 billion between 2019 and 2020.2
Shareable and printable tools in English and Spanish
- Managing My Blood Pressure: Use this printable list of questions to ask your health care team to help you manage your blood pressure. (Also availableĀ en espaƱol.)
- My Blood Pressure Log: You can use this printable log when youĀ measure your own blood pressure. (Also availableĀ en espaƱol.)
- My First Blood Pressure Visit: Record important blood pressureārelated information on this page before your appointments. (Also availableĀ en espaƱol.)
Caring about your heart health
- Preventing High Blood Pressure: Having a healthy plan with a variety of foods, keeping a healthy weight, and not smoking can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range, which lowers your risk for heart disease and stroke.
- ABCS of Heart Health: Brought to you by Million HeartsĀ®, this easy-to-remember mnemonic is a tried-and-true method for you take care of your heart health.
- Live to the Beat: This campaign aims to help adults take steps to prevent heart disease and stroke.
Resources for cardiovascular health care teams
- Improving Medication Adherence Among Patients with Hypertension: Only half of U.S. adults treated for high blood pressure take their medication as recommended.4Ā Learn methods to build trust with patients and understand their barriers.
- Grady Implementation Guide: This guide can help public health professionals establish better continuity of care among cardiologists, nursing staff, and clinic or department administrators.
- Hypertension in Pregnancy Change Package (HPCP): Outpatient clinical settings can use this guide to put systems in place that will improve the care they provide for women with hypertension in pregnancy.
- Hypertension Control Change Package (HCCP): This toolāfilled with guidelines, resources, and news about advances in quality improvementācan be used by health centers and clinics to improve high blood pressure control.
- Heart Valve Disease Toolkits: These toolkits provide key messages about heart valve disease (HVD) and resources that can help your team, patients, and partner organizations better understand and communicate about HVD.
- Practitioners’ Guide: Key Tenets of Successful Lifestyle Programs for Hypertension Control and Management: This guide highlights key tenets to tailor lifestyle interventions to different populations and settings where high blood pressure is an issue.
