“February is Heart Health Awareness Month – a time to recognize the importance of taking care of our hearts, for ourselves and those who care about us.
“Heart disease is a group of conditions that affect the blood vessels or heart, preventing blood from pumping through the body as well as it needs to. Heart disease can affect anyone, no matter their background, and can lead to long-term illness or death.
“With heightened awareness, improved diagnoses, enhanced services and increased research, cases of heart disease and stroke can be reduced.
“Many of the risks of developing heart disease or a stroke can be dramatically decreased by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active.
“Heart disease prevention and timely medical attention have significantly improved health outcomes for Albertans. That is why the Government of Alberta works with Alberta Health Services to identify and invest in initiatives that help reduce the risks of heart disease and improve early detection and treatment across the province. I’m proud to say Alberta’s average time to treatment is one of the best in the world.
“I encourage Albertans to use Alberta Health Services’ heart disease risk calculator to get a general idea of your heart age and risks, and to find more details on preventing heart disease or a stroke.
“For further supports, please reach out to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta and Northwest Territories. They are dedicated to raising awareness, supporting patients and advancing research to give Albertans the best possible odds to beat this devastating disease.”