The designation of February, the month of Valentines Day, as Heart Month affords the opportunity for both the medical and lay communities to assess where we stand in our pursuit of heart health. This year, even though mortality from heart disease is declining in both men and women in this country, cardiovascular disease remains the leading killer of both men and women. Moreover, we are becoming increasingly aware that atherosclerotic heart disease, originally believed to be a disease of the Western industrialized world, is rapidly becoming a leading global health problem. The national average cholesterol level is dropping, likely due to the rapid expansion of statin therapy. However hypertension remains extremely prevalent, with only one-half of those with disease receiving therapy, and only half of those receiving therapy are able to bring their blood pressure within currently acceptable standards. Smoking rates, which had dropped several years ago, perhaps due to the success of aggressive anti-smoking campaigns and legal actions, are now leveling off and our young people continue to remain at high risk. More impressively, we are experiencing the emergence of an ominous epidemic which is really quite unprecedented in its scope and severity obesity.
Whereas one generation ago, obesity was confined to some 5% of the adult population, today, upwards of 60% of the adult population is overweight, with approximately 30% being obese. This is incredible! Nearly one in three adults in this country is obese; nearly one in ten children. The potential health impact is nothing short of devastating. The most common form of obesity is strongly associated with hypertension, diabetes and inflammation. If one were to design an epidemiologic time bomb, one could probably not discover something so medically devastating as what we have apparently done to ourselves. Aside from countless associated health hazards kidney disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, etc– from the standpoint of cardiovascular disease, the predictable morbidity in atherosclerotic coronary disease, as well as in heart failure, is nothing short of frightening. Moreover, the coronary disease of diabetics is not the sort of discrete, localized disease that responds so well to percutaneous coronary interventions (angioplasty and stents) or heart surgery (coronary bypass surgery). Rather, it is a diffuse disease which is extremely difficult to treat or to prevent.
As a leader in cardiovascular research and education, the Florida Heart Research Institute is proactive in its response to this emerging threat. On the scientific side, we have organized a collaborative research project to study the signaling pathways of obesity and how they can be affected by diet. We have also joined the Agatston Research Foundation in a study which provides healthy eating alternatives to children in our schools. We continue to provide free community cardiovascular screenings, as well as work with small and medium-sized businesses to help identify and address cardiovascular risk factors. In order to draw more public attention to healthy eating, FHRI is focusing our signature seasonal event this year on heart-healthy cooking. The Heart of a Chef Festival will take place this coming April 27, 2008 at Jungle Island and will feature a “Heart Healthy Recipe” Community Challenge Contest, open to the public. Please visit our website at www.heartofachef.org or call (305) 674-3020 for more information.
So as we approach our annual reassessment of this Heart Month, we find much progress, but even more left to accomplish.
