February is American Heart Month, and we at Insight Chicago are keenly aware of the importance of heart health for our community.  Studies show that black adults are twice as likely as white adults to die of preventable heart disease.

How can we make a difference? Knowing your risk factors for heart disease is an important place to start, and then addressing them in collaboration with your healthcare team is one path to success!  We know that with early detection and prevention, we can reduce the risk of these diseases and improve the quality of life for people everywhere.

Also, living a heart healthy lifestyle is very important.  This means eating right, exercising regularly, and taking care of your mental and spiritual health.  It is also important to avoid smoking, avoid alcohol, and get enough sleep.  When you combine healthy habits, with control of your risk factors, you can live a healthier and better quality of life.

This month, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has provided many resources to motivate Americans across the country to improve the health of #ourhearts.  Also, the Million Hearts campaign has partnered with the CDC in the “Live to the Beat” campaign, which aims to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in African – Americans from age 35 to 54.   Logon to see some educational videos about heart health!

Lastly, February is also a time that we focus on women’s heart health.  The American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” reminds us that heart disease remains an important problem for the women in our lives.

At Insight Chicago, we are proud to have Dr Neha Patel, who focuses on women’s heart health, and brings this expertise to our community.  We also have cardiologists Dr Bobby Diniotis and Dr Umar Shakur who are available to see how we can improve your heart health.  If you already have heart disease, we can work with you to make sure you are getting the best treatment for your condition.

Don’t delay, American Heart Month is a great time to make a commitment to your heart health.  Let’s work together to reduce the burden of heart failure, heart attacks, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and the many other heart problems that affect our community.  Let’s commit to #ourhearts today!

If you have risk factors for heart disease, please make an appointment with one of our primary care physicians so that we can help you stay healthy. Call us at (312) 567-2273 or go to https://insightchicago.com/appointment.