February is American Heart Month, and while heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States across all ages, genders, and ethnicities, the highest risk of a cardiovascular event falls within minority populations.

According to most recent statistics, one person dies every 33 seconds in the USA from heart (coronary artery disease, heart flutter, hypertension, and heart attack) diseases. About 695,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that is 1 in every 5 deaths.

Every year, about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack, of these,

• 605,000 are a first heart attack
• 200,000 happen to people who have already had a heart attack
• About 1 in 5 heart attacks is silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it

Clinical risk factors associated with heart disease include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. In response to the need for awareness, attention, support, and aid to current and future patients.

These high prevalence rates of risk factors and various cardiovascular diseases amongst the population has led to an increase in utilization of certain expensive healthcare services such as the emergency rooms, urgent care, and hospitalization. Despite the genetic predispositions, there are steps that can be taken to prevent heart conditions to become worse. Some of these steps are the following:

• Annual Physical exams
• Nutritional or diet changes such as 98% lean meat
• Follow-up appointments, if you have a diagnosis of Diabetes or Hypertension
• Drink at least half a gallon of water every day or eight 8-ounce glasses
• Reduce caffeine intake
• Reduce alcohol intake
• Talk to your provider to quit smoking

If you or a member of your family has any of the aforementioned heart diseases or risk factors, speak to your primary care provider now.

Whittier Street Health Center has initiated a comprehensive telehealth program that will provide home care and community-based medical services through specialized telehealth equipment purchased with the funds obtained by the FCC Emergency COVID-19 Telehealth Program.

Our Telehealth Remote Patient Monitoring Initiative simplifies how patients, physicians, and outreach clinicians track, monitor, and manage the health conditions of our patients. Particularly unique to this initiative is a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Hypertension System so that patients can receive effective treatment in the comfort of their own home.  Additionally, patients served would receive a free Remote Patient Monitoring Diabetes tool, to communicate readings to Whittier in real-time.

We can all benefit greatly from living a heart-healthy life, one that includes a beneficial diet, physical activity, managing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reducing stress, when possible. Let’s all take extra care of our heart health and encourage our loved ones to do the same.

For more information regarding Whittier’s Remote Monitoring Program contact: 617-989-3065