Published: Feb 22, 2022

Life comes with many decisions and throughout our lives we are constantly seeking information to help inform our decisions. This may include calling your child’s doctor’s office about their symptoms, asking a friend or family member about how to prepare a healthy recipe, or contacting your insurance company to find a local dentist who accepts your insurance. Information brings us reassurance that the decisions we make are best for ourselves and our family. Our health and healthcare is one area of our lives, in particular, for which we seek out information and expert advice.

February is American Heart Month and a time when we can focus on our cardiovascular health. Heart health matters to your overall health and the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease, in the United States (U.S.), is coronary artery disease (CAD), which affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack.

To prevent this type of serious heart disease, it is important to put your overall health first and this includes making healthy lifestyle choices such as eating healthy foods and drinks, keeping a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity and not smoking. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are all key risk factors for heart disease. About half of people in the United States (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors, per the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in America. About 659,000 people in the U.S. die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.

Hospice and palliative care offer options in heart health

Once you or someone you know is experiencing a heart condition like congestive heart failure – there are options. One important fact to know is that palliative care and hospice offer many options to help cardiovascular patients live more comfortably, including relief from physical symptoms and pain, emotional support, reduced crisis episodes and lowered stress. When deciding who will care for a loved one who is experiencing heart disease, consider Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care. As experts in the field of hospice and palliative care, our physicians specialize in managing distressing symptoms and making people as comfortable as possible – they have the heart for patient care!

Making an informed decision about where you or your loved one will receive care is one of the most important decisions you will make and choosing an expert provider like Kansas City Hospice will help provide you with comfort, peace and guidance for your health care goals and plans.

To learn more about heart disease and ways to prevent it, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.