BREWSTER, NY—This year, as every year, February is the time for Heart Health Month. During the first week, Putnam County employees along with those from other organizations joined together to kick off activities with the American Heart Association’s “Go Red Day” commemorated on February 2.  This year also, for the first time, county employees also had a chance to learn how to recognize a cardiac emergency from one of their own expert trainers at Putnam’s Bureau of Emergency Services. Three lunchtime learning events were scheduled throughout the month to teach life-saving skills to manage until EMS arrives.

“Go Red” Day, traditionally celebrated on the first Friday of February, was conceived to raise awareness about heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in county as it is around the country. Cardiac disease is a collection of heart-related illnesses, including the most common, coronary artery disease, which limits the flow of blood to the heart and may result in a heart attack. This group of diseases has been the number-one cause of death in Putnam every year from 2010 to 2019, except for 2016 when it was second.

“Heart disease is such a common illness that most everyone has a relative or knows a friend who has a form of it,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. He is a longtime supporter of the American Heart Association, having worked there for three years, while earning high national marks for fundraising. “The good news is there are things we can do, together and as individuals, that can help lower the burden of these diseases.” The County Executive knows this well, having developed and implemented the “My Heart. My Life.” campaign, for the American Heart Association while there.

Interim Commissioner of Health Michael J. Nesheiwat, MD, spoke about the factors that can increase an individual’s risk of developing heart disease. “Among the most common contributing factors are family history, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol,” he said. “While genetics is the greatest risk factor, there are social and behavioral determinants that also play a part. That’s one reason why the health department offers free smoking cessation classes for Putnam residents. We just kicked off another 8-week session and I am happy to report enrollment for the program is up from last year.”

If an individual stops smoking, it can reduce the risk for heart disease by as much as half. Also, as Dr. Nesheiwat explained, “Smoking cessation is key in the management of blood clots, abnormal heart rhythms and build-up of plaque on the artery walls, known as atherosclerosis, which all contribute to heart attack risk.” 

Other behavior changes that can reduce one’s chance of developing heart disease include eating a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol use. Other self-care steps include managing diabetes, checking cholesterol levels, and controlling blood pressure. Of course, it is also important to follow doctors’ orders for screening tests and medications if necessary. Even with a healthy lifestyle, checking cholesterol levels is important because genetic factors do play a role. 

Other heart healthy activities for residents and local professionals include a full schedule of training offered year-round by the Bureau of Emergency Services, including AHA HeartSaver First Aid and AHA HeartSaver CPR. For information on these trainings, visit the website and click to register. There one can view all the offerings, including those for beginners: www.putnamcountyny.com/life. 

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.com, or visit the health department’s social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.