February is designated as Healthy Hearts Month, the Dickinson-
Iron District Health Department announced. What you can do to
keep your heart healthy and lessen your risk for cardiovascular
disease (CVD). "Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular
diseases are the number one killer in Michigan," said Kelly
Rumpf, Health Educator. "In fact, CVD has been the number one
cause of death nationally every year since 1900, except in 1918
- the year of the devastating flu epidemic." More than 600,000
people in the U.S. died from heart disease in 2008.
Cardiovascular disease costs an estimated $503 billion annually.
Four out of every 10 deaths in Michigan is due to cardiovascular
disease. "Your actions today can help prevent, delay, or
minimize the effects of heart disease," Rumpf said in a
statement. "The key strategy is controlling your risk factors."
Here are steps from the Health Department that area residents
can take to lower their risk for heart disease and heart attack:
- Prevent and control high blood chol