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Delaying Preventative Care Can Be Deadly When It Comes To Heart Disease

Date: 02/01/21

Louisiana Healthcare Connections recognizes American Heart Month

Baton Rouge, La. (Feb. 1, 2021) – Heart disease is the number one killer in Louisiana, claiming the lives of 11,340 Louisianans in 2018, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In recognition of American Heart Month, Louisiana Healthcare Connections is promoting the importance of heart health, preventative care and determining risk factors for heart disease throughout the month of February.

The term heart disease refers to a plethora of heart conditions, the most common being coronary artery disease. Many of these heart conditions are “silent,” meaning they do not present themselves until a person experiences symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure or an arrhythmia.

“Heart disease is a silent killer,” said Stewart Gordon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “Many people don’t show symptoms until they experience serious symptoms like a heart attack. That is why preventative care is so important. Now more than ever, it’s crucial we know our risk factors and how we can manage them. Making sure you are going to your regular checkups and making healthier lifestyle changes can make all the difference.”

Risk factors of heart disease include:

  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Physical inactivity
  • Excessive alcohol use

Louisiana is fifth in the nation in heart disease-related deaths, but that rate can be reduced significantly through early detection of risk factors and preventative care. Risk factors and symptoms of heart disease should not be ignored, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the COVID-19 virus preys on those who are most vulnerable, having heart disease increases your risk of developing severe illnesses from COVID-19, according to the CDC.

“Taking your medicine as prescribed and following your doctor’s recommendations for diet and exercise while maintaining COVID-19 precautions, like social distancing and wearing masks, is the best way to protect yourself from the dangers of heart disease and COVID-19,” Gordon said. “COVID-19 precautions and heart disease preventative care are of utmost importance.”

Learn more about American Heart Month, heart disease and factors for heart disease by visiting the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Inc., at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/. To learn more about heart disease and stroke prevention programs in Louisiana, visit the Louisiana Department of Health’s Heart Disease & Stroke website at https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/1181/n/359.  

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About Louisiana Healthcare Connections

Established to deliver quality health care through local, regional and community-based partners, Louisiana Healthcare Connections is a Healthy Louisiana plan headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Healthcare Connections exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. Because Louisiana Healthcare Connections believes healthy is a way of life, its members benefit from programs and services designed for their personal well-being. For more information, visit www.LouisianaHealthConnect.com.