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American Heart Month:
Five Facts About Heart Health
February is American Heart Month, a great time to learn more about heart disease, which causes one death in the United States every 33 seconds.
At Health Edco, we offer a variety of innovative and creative heart-health teaching tools in our product section dedicated specifically to heart health. Because heart health is impacted by a variety of lifestyle habits and health conditions, Health Edco also has a diverse variety of health education resources in multiple subject areas (such as nutrition, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and more) that help make the connection between lifestyle habits, certain health conditions, and heart health.
Read on to learn five important facts about heart health and to discover some of our great health teaching tools that can help bridge understanding between heart health and the lifestyle factors that impact heart health.
Heart Health Fact #1: Heart Disease Is the Leading Cause of Death for Both Men and Women in the United States.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States. In 2022, more than 700,000 people died from heart disease, which means about one in every five deaths is the result of heart disease. Although many women may believe that cancer (especially breast cancer) poses the larger threat to their health, heart disease actually kills more women each year that all forms of cancer combined.
Our Heart Health Education Package is a great way to provide a comprehensive, engaging heart health program to secondary and adult audiences. The package features four of our popular heart health education resources and a detailed facilitator’s guide with four activities covering everything from heart disease basics to developing a personal action plan to help participants take charge of their heart health.
Heart Health Fact #2: Coronary Artery Disease Is the Most Common Type of Heart Disease.
The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD—which is also known as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease). Coronary artery disease develops when plaque (deposits of fat, cholesterol, and other substances) builds up on the walls of coronary arteries, causing them to narrow or harden. The narrowed arteries decrease blood flow to the heart, which can cause chest pain (angina). If plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form around it and drastically reduce or block blood flow in a coronary artery, resulting in a heart attack.
Our best-selling Deluxe Occluded Artery Model is an interactive teaching tool designed to help viewers understand how plaque buildup in the arteries impedes blood flow. Flipping the display upside down demonstrates how easily blood cells travel through a clean artery, while blood cells in the model’s artery clogged by plaque buildup get stuck, which can result in a heart attack or stroke.
Explaining how coronary artery disease can develop is made easier with our riveting Deadly Obstruction™ Artery Model. The sculpted model clearly reveals how the buildup of cholesterol and plaque can lead to the formation of blood clots, raising the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. The model comes with a two-sided tent that explains how a deadly obstruction can develop. Heart Health Fact #3: Having Diabetes Increases the Risk for Heart Disease.
Many people know that lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use and lack of physical activity are risk factors for heart disease, but they may not realize that having diabetes increases the risk for coronary heart disease and heart failure. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults with diabetes. When diabetes is not well-controlled, high blood glucose levels can encourage plaque buildup in the arteries, causing them to narrow and harden and increasing the likelihood of blood clots and heart attack. By promoting artery damage and plaque buildup, diabetes can also contribute to the development of high blood pressure, another condition that can damage the heart. Fortunately, proper diabetes management can decrease the risk of heart disease.
Our Effects of Diabetes Display features models of a heart damaged by a heart attack, an artery damaged by plaque buildup, and six other organ models depicting body organs affected by diabetes that has not been well-controlled. The back of the included key card explains each condition, highlighting the importance of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels.
Heart Health Fact #4: Consuming Too Many Added Sugars Can Contribute to Heart Disease.
Many people know that limiting sodium and saturated fat intake is important for heart health, but they may not recognize that consuming too much added sugar can also negatively impact their heart health. Added sugars are the sugars that are added to foods and beverages during processing or preparation.
Sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in many people’s diets, and studies indicate an increased risk in heart attack and heart disease in people who regularly consume sugar-sweetened beverages. Consuming too many added sugars is associated with elevated blood pressure, chronic inflammation, weight gain, and other risk factors for heart disease. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people ages 2 and older consume less than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars. Many people consume more than twice this amount. Added sugars should be avoided by children under the age of 2.
Our Cold Case: The Facts Against Sweetened Drinks™ Display is an attention-grabbing way to highlight the high sugar content of many popular beverages. It features a cooler with six beverage models depicting cola, chocolate milk, orange juice, iced blended coffee, an energy drink, and a protein smoothie. Each weighted model contains the number of grams of liquid sugar consumed by drinking 20 ounces of the corresponding beverage every day for 1 week. Presentation notes provide information on the link between regularly consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and heart disease in addition to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.
Heart Health Fact #5: Oral Health Can Impact Heart Health.
Studies suggest that people who have poor oral health (such as gum disease and tooth loss) are also more likely to have cardiovascular health problems, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. There are several reasons why oral and cardiovascular health might be linked.
For example, the oral bacteria that causes gum disease can travel to other parts of the body, resulting in damage to blood vessels. Oral bacteria has been found in the fatty deposits of blood vessels damaged by the buildup of plaque on artery walls. This damage can lead to the development of a heart attack or stroke.
Another possibility is that the inflammation caused by gum disease can lead to blood vessel damage throughout the body, contributing to a heart attack or stroke. Poor oral health can also pose special risks for people with heart valve problems. Oral bacteria can spread through the bloodstream and infect the heart valves.
Health Edco has several great oral health education resources that are perfect to teach the importance of proper oral care. For example, our Clean Mouth/Dirty Mouth Display highlights some of the many reasons why taking control of your oral health is important. It also offers tips to maintain better oral health.
The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare professional.
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