Portland observer., February 08, 2023, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
February 8, 2023
F ebruary is H eart H ealtH M ontH
Fourth Annual “Brooke
Hearts Your Heart” Kicks Off
Celebrating American Heart Month
Prevent heart
disease and
strokes
February is American Heart
Month, a time when all people
can focus on their cardiovascu-
lar health. Over 874,000 Ameri-
cans died of cardiovascular dis-
ease in 2019, according to the
American Heart Association's
"Heart Disease and Stroke Sta-
tistics – 2022 Update."
This Heart Month the Division
for Heart Disease and Stroke Pre-
vention is expanding the reach
of the Million Hearts® and CDC
Foundation’s “Live to the Beat”
campaign, which focuses on en-
couraging and empowering Black
adult’s ages 35 to 54 to take small
steps to reduce their risks for car-
diovascular disease (CVD).
CVD and CVD mortality are
increasing in working-age adults,
and Black adults are among those
bearing the highest burden of
CVD and the related health conse-
quences, particularly in the United
States. Black adults in the United
States die from heart disease at a
rate two times higher than White
adults. You can reclaim your
health by doing at least 150 min-
utes of moderate-intensity physi-
cal activity a week, eating healthy
and not smoking or vaping. Main-
taining a healthy weight and reg-
ular check up are also important.
Heart disease has remained
the leading health threat during
the pandemic, and more people
are reporting lower physical and
emotional wellness. Many people
have delayed or avoided seeking
medical care. Unhealthy use of
alcohol and other substances has
been on the rise.
Trail Blazers
Broadcaster
spreads awareness
about heart health
This February, Brooke Olzen-
dam, Trail Blazers Broadcast-
er, is launching the fourth year
of Brooke Hearts Your Heart.
The campaign will continue to
work with the American Heart
Association to educate fans on
the importance of heart health,
prevention, and education. This
February Brooke will extend
her efforts by sharing her expe-
rience and utilizing her platform
to encourage Trail Blazers fans to
show their support for the Amer-
ican Heart Association’s critical
programming through various
paths, while educating them on
easy ways they can improve their
own heart health.
This program has positively
impacted Rip City to take action
after hearing Brooke’s story of
loss. Brooke’s husband Andy,
who passed away 10 days after
they married in 2010, had a heart
attack on a treadmill while work-
ing out at age 27. By sharing her
personal story, Olzendam has
been able to educate and show
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