In our February Health & Wellness, we offer links to tools and resources for various health and wellness observances occurring this month.

National Cancer Prevention Month

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) estimates that approximately one-third of cases of the most common cancers in the U.S. could be prevented – that’s an estimated 374,000 cases of cancer that would never happen. AICR offers three Guidelines for Cancer Prevention:

  • Choose mostly plant foods, limit red meat and avoid processed meat.
  • Be physically active every day in any way for 30 minutes or more.
  • Aim to be a healthy weight throughout life.

Visit AICR to learn more about cancer and cancer prevention. February 4 is World Cancer Day. Don’t miss the terrific and well-designed tools & resources that you can download, including fact sheets, posters, social media ideas, toolkits and more.
American Heart Month

This year for American Heart Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Million Hearts®–a national effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the United States by 2017–are encouraging Americans to know their blood pressure, and if it’s high, to make control their goal.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. In fact, more than 67 million Americans have high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are 4 times more likely to die from a stroke and 3 times more likely to die from heart disease, compared to those with normal blood pressure. Learn more at the link above.

Related, February is also Go Red for Women Month. Of this, the American Heart Association says:

“Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an older man’s disease. To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease & stroke as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women, a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

In 2010, the AHA set a strategic goal of reducing death and disability from cardiovascular disease and strokes by 20 percent while improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent by the year 2020.

Friday, February 5 is National Wear Red Day

Why Go Red? Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year, killing approximately one woman every 80 seconds — but that could change because 80% of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action. Wear red on National Wear Red Day® and Donate to Go Red For Woman  to support educational programs to increase women’s awareness and critical research. And, women, don’t forget to schedule your Well-Woman Visit, a prevention check-up to review a woman’s overall health so her doctor can measure blood pressure, check cholesterol and look for signs of heart disease, stroke and other illnesses. Use socail media to encourage other women to do the same. #GoRedWearRed and #WellWomenVisit. Also see the National Wear Red Day Toolkit

National Donor Day

February 14 National Donor Day. Here are the facts: 121,552 people are waiting for an organ now; 22 people die each day waiting for an organ; a single organ donor can save up to 8 lives – learn more in this short video. Also see Donate Life

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Other February Health & Wellness Observances

AFB Low Vision Awareness Month

National Children’s Dental Health Month

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February 7 – National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD)

1-7 – African Heritage & Health Week

1-7 – Burn awareness week

7-14 = Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

21-27 – National Eating Disorder Screening Program

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