We see plenty of red Valentine’s Day hearts during February, but Iowans are also encouraged to think about their real heart beating in their chests. This is National Heart Month and Alexson Callahan, with the American Heart Association of Central Iowa, says heart health is vital for all of us.
“Nationwide, heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women but here in Iowa, it’s actually dropped, so it’s #2 here, which is great,” Callahan says. “We’re leading the way and with the governor’s initiative to become the healthiest state in the nation, there’s a lot of resources out there for people right now. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to move more, eat better and be healthier.”
Callahan says heart disease is an especially great threat to Iowa’s women. “A lot of people don’t realize, in fact, just one in six women know that heart disease is her biggest health threat,” she says. “Eighty-percent of heart attacks in women are preventable so we’re really trying to work towards getting women to make healthier choices.”
Events are underway in many Iowa locations this month to promote heart health. Learn more at “heart.org“.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City