National Heart Month kicks off at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center to help raise heart disease awareness

“This is the beginning of Heart Month, and this is our kickoff celebration to increase awareness of heart disease in our community. Our goal is to promote health and wellness in North Central West Virginia,” she said.

A key visual component of the event was an inflatable heart that allowed visitors to walk through and learn about cardiovascular health.

“People can come and look at the big heart and walk through it and ask questions," Farley said.

Heart disease remains one of the most significant health threats in the country, she added.

“Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of Americans and the No. 1 killer of women,” Farley said. “It has a higher rate of death than all cancers combined.”

Despite these statistics, heart disease is largely preventable, she noted.

Dr. Dean Wolz, a cardiologist at UHC, emphasized that while genetics play a role, lifestyle choices significantly impact heart health.

“There is a genetic component,” Wolz said. “But we do know that diet and exercise are hugely important. There are different ways you can eat — the most extreme is a completely plant-based diet.”

Reducing the intake of carbohydrates and processed foods can also help prevent heart disease, he added.

Melissa Roy, a nurse practitioner in UHC’s Cardiology Department, highlighted the importance of monitoring blood pressure levels.

“We’re looking at the top number being less than 120 and the bottom number being less than 80,” Roy said. “That’s our normal range. The middle range starts when the top number reaches the 120s and 130s.”

Any top number above 140 or bottom number above 90 is considered high blood pressure, she added.

Roy also stressed the importance of physical activity in managing blood pressure.

“Our goal is to look at reducing those numbers,” she said. “In a perfect world, we want 150 minutes of exercise per week, or 30 minutes a day, five days a week.”

Patricia Ross, a physician assistant in UHC’s Cardiology Department, advised people to focus on their fat intake rather than just cholesterol numbers when assessing their diet.

“Cholesterol levels are kind of tough because people want to follow cholesterol on the back of labels,” she said. “And they should really be following the fats — both saturated and unsaturated. At the end of the day, fat is fat.”

Lowering fat intake reduces cholesterol buildup in the arteries, decreasing the risk of heart disease, Ross added.

United Hospital Center will be taking the inflatable heart to The Bridge Sports Complex on Feb. 5 and Feb. 11. 

Meadowbrook Mall will host the inflatable heart on Feb. 19.