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Heart Health Toolkit

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

  • 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.

Approved Graphics

Use the following graphics and suggested social media content below to help share these important messages. Click on the image to download or share and to find suggested social media messages for each graphic.

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Jan 12, 2023

Love Your Heart: Prevent Heart Disease

Love Your Heart: Prevent Heart Disease

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

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Jan 12, 2023

Love Your Heart: Healthy Weight

Love Your Heart: Healthy Weight

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

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May 21, 2021

Winter Safety

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

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

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May 21, 2021

Winter Heart v3

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

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 ...

Last Updated: August 27, 2024
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