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Florida Medical Center helps community to “Focus on the Heart” with their 2nd Annual Heart Health Campaign

FT. LAUDERDALE – Florida Medical Center will hold their 2nd annual community health fair on Saturday February 28th from 9am – 1pm on the Florida Medical Center Campus.

CEO Bob Haley will be joined by representatives from the American Heart Association, Mended Hearts Support Group and other local community organizations and health care professionals to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and the resources available to prevent, detect and fight Heart Disease in Broward County.

With approximately one death occurring every 36 seconds from cardiovascular disease, Americans need to find a way to beat the odds. That premise is the impetus behind Florida Medical Center’s campaign, which encourages the community to “Focus on the Heart” by undergoing regular screenings and adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle.

“Focus on the Heart” was created by Florida Medical Center and its sister hospitals as part of a nationwide campaign to promote early detection and testing that could save the lives of the approximately one in three Americans who suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease.

“We chose ‘Focus on the Heart’ because patients have to keep making their heart health a priority,” said Bob Haley. “This is not about a once-a-year test; it’s about knowing your risk factors and thinking about all the ways to keep your heart beating strong on a daily basis.”

In support of “Focus on the Heart,” Florida Medical Center will offer free cholesterol screenings, blood glucose, BMI (body mass index) and balance screenings during their February 28th health fair (by appointment only call 1-866-422-7342). Opportunities to speak to health professionals and other community organizations and obtain literature and educational information on living a heart healthy lifestyle will also be available.

According to the American Heart Association, individuals age 50 and over can potentially add eight to 11 years to their lives by addressing six key risk factors: smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Regular screenings are an important part of determining one’s risk from several of these factors. More than 450,000 Americans will die this year alone just from coronary heart disease, the principal type of cardiovascular disease, and another 150,000 – about one of every 16 deaths nationwide – will die of stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s No. 1 killer of men and women alike and claims more lives every year than cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes mellitus combined.

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