Since 1963, February has been recognized as American Heart Month. Every year since then the President has issued a proclamation to this effect, to help raise public awareness of heart disease.

Pastors’ spouses are out front leading the charge– exclaiming that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women…but also that heart disease is the most preventable cause of death. Churches involved in NCPS’ Atlanta Heart Truth pilot continue championing this effort. Thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) scores of parishioners in the Atlanta region are currently participating in classes, and other daily activities in their local churches, designed to bring awareness to the behaviors which increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.

According to Dr. Brenda Lankford, NCPS Board member and Atlanta Heart Truth Project Coordinator, “because women are so focused on keeping their husbands, children, and other extended family members healthy, they sometimes ignore key early heart-risk signs/symptoms in their own bodies which could indicate an impending heart attack.”

Some of these warning signs may include, but are not limited to: chest pain, which may also include back pain and/or deep aching and throbbing in one or both arms; breathlessness or unable to catch your breath when waking up; clammy sweating for no apparent reason; dizziness and/or unexplained lightheadedness, possible blackouts; anxiety or anxiousness followed by unusual nervousness or feelings of impending doom; edema or fluid, puffiness or swelling usually of the ankles or lower legs; fluttering and/or rapid heartbeats, palpitations; nausea or gastric upset; and lastly… a feeling of heaviness, such as pressure-like chest pain between the breasts that may radiate to the left arm or shoulder.

If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t hesitate… please get medical help immediately!