Managing blood pressure critical to overall heart health
While Valentine’s Day captures much of our attention in February, it’s also a time to recognize something equally significant: American Heart Month.
Heart-shaped chocolates are a sweet gesture, but improving heart health is a far greater gift. As medical professionals, it’s our responsibility to encourage patients to adopt heart-healthy habits to combat cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States and other Western countries.
The statistics are staggering. In the U.S., heart disease claims a life every 33 seconds. In 2022 alone, 702,880 individuals died from heart disease – that’s one in five deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jignesh Y. Sheth, M.D., FACP, MPH, is senior vice president and chief medical and information officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. He is board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine.
Thankfully, initiatives like American Heart Month help bring critical attention to this issue. Established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, a heart disease survivor himself, this observance promotes awareness through events such as National Wear Red Day, where wearing red demonstrates solidarity in the fight against heart disease and stroke.
While genetics play a significant role in heart health, lifestyle factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (high blood pressure) often exacerbate the risk. Addressing these factors is key to reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
At The Wright Center for Community Health, we’re proud to be part of this effort. Recently, the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association recognized our commitment to improving blood pressure control rates with silver-level recognition as part of the Target: BP initiative.
Target: BP is a national program created by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association to address the widespread issue of uncontrolled blood pressure. By offering evidence-based quality improvement resources at no cost, the initiative helps health care organizations improve blood pressure management. Recognitions like the Silver Award highlight our dedication to turning clinical guidelines into lifelines for our patients and their families.
“By committing to helping more people in Northeast Pennsylvania control their blood pressure and reduce their risks for future heart disease and stroke, The Wright Center for Community Health is taking a key step to helping more people live longer, healthier lives,” said Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, Ph.D., Target: BP advisory group volunteer and associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and preventable deaths in the U.S., affecting nearly half of all adults – 122.4 million people. Alarmingly, only about a quarter of them have their hypertension under control. This underscores the importance of proper diagnosis, management, and regular medical checkups to reduce risks and improve overall health.
Patients can manage conditions associated with heart disease with the guidance of primary care providers and, when necessary, medication. Efforts like American Heart Month are invaluable in raising awareness, and at The Wright Center, we’re proud to contribute to this mission every day.
Together, let’s make February not just a celebration of love but also a commitment to healthier hearts.
