Every year, one in four deaths are caused by heart disease, making it the leading cause of death in the United States.¹  For 70 years, Medtronic has created innovative therapies and the latest in treatment options for patients living with heart conditions. During American Hearth Month, take the time to learn about heart disease, its risk factors, and how you can maintain a heart healthy lifestyle.

Did You Know?

While some risks for heart disease — like age or family history — cannot be controlled, lifestyle choices play a major role in protecting your heart. With one-quarter of all deaths from heart disease and stroke being preventable,³ it’s important to understand which habits may increase your risk.  About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease:²

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Smoking

What’s promising, is that with just a few adjustments, you can significantly lower your risk for developing heart disease.

Fast Fact: 25% of all deaths from heart disease and stroke are preventable.

Healthy changes you can make today⁴:

-    Watch your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can significantly lower your risk for developing heart disease. Middle-aged men and women who were considered obese had 67 and 85 percent, respectively, higher chances of cardiovascular disease compared with normal-weight individuals.⁵  

-    Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke. Smoking is responsible for one of every three deaths caused from heart disease.⁶ Quitting reduces the risk of repeat heart attacks and death from heart disease by 50 percent or more.⁷

-    Control your cholesterol and blood pressure. By reducing saturated fats and eliminating trans fats, you can reduce your cholesterol and improve your overall heart health.⁸

-    If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation. Drinking excessively can lead to high blood pressure and heart failure. It’s best to have no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women.⁹

-    Get active and eat healthy. The American Heart Association suggests you get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity.¹⁰ It’s never too late to start — people who make regular physical activity a part of their life after an initial cardiac event have a 31 percent lower risk of experiencing another, fatal cardiac event.¹¹

Heart Health and Our Mission

At Medtronic, our Mission is to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. In 2019, our cardiac and vascular therapies impacted more than 7 million patients, and today we are the number one choice among customers in several cardiovascular device categories and treatments.¹²

“Heart Month serves as an important reminder of why we do what we do — to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients,” says executive vice president and president of the cardiac and vascular group at Medtronic, Mike Coyle. “There’s no better time to talk with our friends and family about heart-healthy choices that can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.”

To learn more about how Medtronic is committed to improving the life of those living with heart disease and other chronic conditions click here.

References

¹“Heart Disease Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

^2“Heart Disease Risk Factors.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retrieved from CDC.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm

³“200,000 heart disease, stroke deaths a year are preventable.” Harvard Health Publishing, retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/200000-heart-disease-stroke-deaths-a-year-are-preventable-201309046648

⁴U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, American Heart Month, Healthfinder.gov 

⁵“A Study Sheds Light on the Obesity Paradox’ and Whether Being Overweight Protects Against Heart Disease.” Everyday Health, retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/bmi/can-higher-bmi-protect-against-heart-disease-study-seeks-answer/

⁶“Smoking and Heart Disease and Stroke.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/heart-disease-stroke.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=EST+4059+-+Tips+2016+Campaign+Search+-+English+-+Cessation+Terms%3BS%3BWL%3BBR%3BRES%3BHCP%3BCO&utm_content=Heart+Disease+-+Exact&utm_term=smoking+and+heart+disease&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2pnOvsKj4AIVktlkCh0RjQ_KEAAYASAAEgLiyvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

^7“Smoking.” Cleveland Clinic, retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17488-smoking

⁸“Top 5 Lifestyle Changes to Improve your Cholesterol.” Mayo Clinic, retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reduce-cholesterol/art-20045935

⁹“Alcohol and Heart Disease.” WebMD, retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-alcohol-your-heart

¹⁰“American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.” American Heart Association, retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults

¹¹“Physical Activity with Cardiovascular Disease.” Virtual Medical Centre, retrieved from https://www.myvmc.com/lifestyles/physical-activity-with-cardiovascular-disease/

¹²Internal data on file