UPTOWN — Weiss Memorial Hospital is celebrating American Heart Month with events in February aimed at raising awareness about heart disease.
On Wednesday, people can learn from a dietician about how to keep a healthy heart at the hospital's Healthy Heart Meals event from 2-3 p.m.
On Feb. 26, Weiss is offering free blood pressure screenings from 1-3 p.m.
Coronary heart disease, the most common form of heart disease, is the No. 1 killer of men and women, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Heart disease causes 715,000 heart attacks and kills 600,000 people every year, according to the library.
Amjad Sheikhs, Weiss's medical director of cardiology, said in a recent hospital blog post that "The good news is that we have made huge strides in early diagnosis. With lifestyle and pharmaceutical modifications, we can very significantly decrease mortality."
Poor diet, stress, smoking, lack of physical activity and obesity are some of the risk factors for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
Lori Shepard, director of cardiology at the hospital, said awareness is key.
"Knowing the risk factors and modifying them is so important,” she said in the post.
