To link directly to this toolkit from your websites, use this link: [Health.mil/HeartHealthToolkit].
February is Heart Health Month. A healthy heart is vital to overall wellness, and critical to readiness and optimizing performance. Cardiovascular disease — including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure — is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. Lowering your risk factors for heart disease is critical to your health and helps improve readiness and mission performance.
Key Messages
Message for Communicators
- Knowing the risk factors, warning signs, and symptoms of heart disease is key to avoiding serious health complications, including death, but many people don’t know the signs.
- High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease.
- Warning signs of heart disease include fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, among other symptoms.
- There are strong indications that heart disease is more common in service members and veterans.
- Stress, smoking, post-traumatic stress, and hypertension are known risk factors for heart disease, and are more common in members of the military than the general population.
- The four most common symptoms of heart attacks are chest pain or discomfort; upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach; shortness of breath; nausea, lightheadedness, or cold sweats.
- There are well understood ways of minimizing the risk and impacts of heart disease.
- Eat a balanced, healthy diet, low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat (the Mediterranean diet is considered an excellent model).
- Get at least 2.5 hours a week of physical activity.
- Get seven to eight hours of sleep.
- Manage stress.
- Don't use tobacco.
- Keep alcohol consumption low.
Social Media Content and Graphics
You also may be interested in...
Infographic
1/12/2023
A healthy heart is critical, particularly to service members facing high-stress jobs throughout their careers. Take steps to prevent heart disease: https://health.mil/News/Articles/2021/02/24/Proper-diet-sleep-exercise-and-joy-key-to-a-heart-health #HeartHealth
Recommended Content:
Heart Health Toolkit | Heart Health
Infographic
1/12/2023
Smoking can increase your risk for heart disease. Talk to your provider on ways to lower your risk and prioritize your heart health: www.health.mil/hearthealth #HeartHealth
Recommended Content:
Heart Health Toolkit | Heart Health
Infographic
1/12/2023
Keepings a healthy weight can lower your risk for heart disease. Learn more on how a healthy way is good for your heart: https://health.mil/News/Articles/2022/01/14/Six-Immediate-Health-Benefits-You-Will-See-If-You-Lose-a-Little-Weight #HeartHealth
Recommended Content:
Heart Health Toolkit | Heart Health
Infographic
1/12/2023
Eating a balanced, healthy diet, low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat can lower your risk for heart disease. www.health.mil/Nutrition #HeartHealth
Recommended Content:
Heart Health Toolkit | Heart Health
Infographic
1/12/2023
Get moving! Try and get at least 2.5 hours a week of physical activity to keep your heart healthy. https://health.mil/Exercise #HeartHealth #Readiness
Recommended Content:
Heart Health Toolkit | Heart Health
Infographic
5/21/2021
Social Media infographic on Winter Heart Safety with thermometer. Winter Heart Safety: Did you know? Cold weather can cause blood vessels to constrict, making the heart work harder to pump. Strenuous activity out in the cold should be approached with caution, especially if you are not used to physical activity. Avoid cold weather triggers. Listen to your body
Recommended Content:
Winter Safety | Heart Health Toolkit | Winter Safety
Infographic
5/21/2021
Social Media Graphic on Winter Safety with Service Member shoveling snow. Winter Safety: Whether shoveling the walk, or building a shelter during winter training exercises, proper gear prevents injury in extreme weather, and lessens the risk of angina, or chest pain, during strenuous cold weather activity
Recommended Content:
Winter Safety | Heart Health Toolkit | Winter Safety
Showing results 1 - 15
Page 1 of 2