Did you know that February is Heart Health Month? It’s the perfect time to focus on this essential muscle and how to keep it healthy.
Let’s look at a few interesting facts you may not know about the heart!
- The heart beats about 100,000 times per day. That’s about three BILLION beats in a lifetime.
- Every cell in the human body gets blood from the heart EXCEPT the cornea.
- There are over 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. That’s enough to go around the world twice.
- Your heart pumps approximately 1.5 gallons of blood every minute.
- Your aorta (main artery that carries blood away from the heart and to the rest of the body) is as large as a garden hose.
Unfortunately, there are some not-so-fun facts about the heart that we need to keep in mind this Heart Health Month, too.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide
- COPD affects over 15 million adults in America and is the 4th-leading cause of death
- Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the two most common conditions associated with COPD
Your heart does a lot of heavy lifting – every single day. It’s vital that we keep it as strong as possible. Functional Pathways helps the heart health of our seniors through our Breathe Steady program, which is our interdisciplinary approach to the management and treatment of cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Breathe Steady is a patient-tailored program that includes exercise training and self-management education to help create sustained changes in behavior to minimize the effects of cardiopulmonary diseases on our residents.
Our Breathe Steady program aims to:
- Reduce dyspnea and fatigue
- Increase activity tolerance and participation in daily tasks and leisure activities
- Utilize energy conservation strategies
- Educate resident and care partners on early warning signs of disease exacerbation and techniques to improve safety
- Improve postural support and respiratory muscle strength
- Minimize signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary distress and establish strategies to reduce shortness of breath
- Improve cardiac function through education, self-management, diet, and exercise plans
- Improve quality of life
Celebrate Heart Health Month every month by keeping yourself active, eating a heart-healthy diet, monitoring your blood pressure and overall health, and knowing your family’s heart history. Learn more about our Breathe Steady program and the rest of our CORE4+ specialty programs here.
