Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Odds are the Zika virus won’t do you in.
No, your premature death, rather than result from an exotic disease acquired by mosquito bite, is far more likely to occur because of your own neglect.
You have a heart; but if you’re like too many Americans, you don’t take proper care of it. You overtax this life-sustaining organ by carrying around excess pounds. You puff away on cigarettes – surgeon general, all good sense and science be damned. Exercise? Maybe tomorrow. Salty snacks. Mmmm.
During February, recognized as American Heart Month, we’re sending you this not-so-subtle reminder that how you treat your heart could very well determine the length and quality of your life. (Consider it our valentine to you, our reader. We want you to stick around; we really, really do.)
Although preventable and controllable, heart disease remains the nation’s top killer. It accounts for about one-quarter of deaths in Pennsylvania every year. You might not put much stock in statistics, but, for the record, heart disease in 2010 claimed the lives of 31,274 Pennsylvanians, according to the state Department of Health. It’s the No. 1 cause of death here for men. Ditto for women.
Sure, if your ticker goes bad, the health care pros at Geisinger’s Richard & Marion Pearsall Heart Hospital near Wilkes-Barre will do their best to treat you, strengthen your pumps and prolong your time on the planet. Commonwealth Health’s cardiac care teams are no less committed. But wouldn’t you rather stay out of a hospital bed?
So ends this editorial’s preachy, up-in-your-business portion. Rather than shove at you the same-old heart health tips about controlling cholesterol, staying active and such, we instead wrap up this public service message with three, dare we say, heartfelt suggestions:
• Visit everydaychoices.org to learn which health screenings you should ask about during your next doctor’s visit. Simply select your gender, age group and ethnicity, and the site generates a list appropriate for individuals in your category.
• Go to the American Heart Association – Northeast Pennsylvania chapter’s Facebook page. Learn about local events and get inspiration for lifestyle changes.
• Attend the 2016 Northeast Pennsylvania Heart Walk, scheduled for May 21 in Wilkes-Barre. Meet people whose lives have been changed by heart disease and, in the process, get your heart thumping a bit faster. It can only do you good.