Heart disease and stroke are leading killers in the U.S., especially in South Carolina. That’s why Roper St. Francis Healthcare has joined a national initiative called Million Hearts to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.
Million Hearts brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
Currently, cardiovascular disease totals $444 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. Million Hearts will help improve the health of Americans and increase their productivity. South Carolina ranks among the top 5 states in the country for the incidence of cardiac disease.
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RSFH is supporting Million Hearts through education and by providing a new risk calculator. Through our heart program, RSFH is teaching the ABCs of heart disease prevention. ABC is an acronym for:
- Aspirin for people at risk
- Blood pressure control
- Cholesterol management and smoking cessation – which address the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
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Risks can be calculated by completing the Million Hearts My Life Check Assessment and Heart Attack Risk Calculator located at www.rsfh.com/millionhearts.
Through community outreach RSFH also will help participants learn their risk and become proactive with their heart health. Efforts include:
- Amazing Health Expo
- Heart health prevention education being held March 1 at Trident Technical College.
- Families for a Healthy Heart
- Classes that focus on ways to improve eating habits and increase physical activity continuing through April 5 at East Cooper Community Outreach.
- Community health fairs offering screenings such as the ankle-brachial index, which tests for peripheral arterial disease.
- Support and participation in the AHA heart walk.
For more information on these events go to www.rsfh.com or call 402-CARE. For more information on RSFH’s Heart and Vascular program go to www.rsfh.com/heartandvascular.