February is American Heart Month
1/29/2026
American Heart Month, observed in February, is a time to raise awareness about heart disease – and to encourage ourselves and our loved ones to adopt heart-healthy lifestyles and avoid cardiovascular disease.
“Heart health is vital to the health and well-being of the entire body,” says Northwest Healthcare cardiologist Dr. Anup Solsi, M.D., who treats patients in Tucson, Oro Valley and Sahuarita. “The heart is a symbol of resilience – and cardiovascular problems can make it difficult to live the life you want and do the things you enjoy.”
The good news, Dr. Solsi says, is that heart disease is preventable and manageable.
“A balanced, healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and managing stress go a long way in stopping heart disease before it begins,” he says. “If you do have early possible warning signs – like chest discomfort; unusual fatigue; shortness of breath; dizziness; or any pain in your arms, back, neck or jaw, the first thing to do is go to an emergency room to rule out a cardiac emergency. The second thing to do is establish care with a cardiologist if necessary.”
For a quick quiz to get an idea of how healthy your heart is – and its real age, given your lifestyle and risk factors – visit https://www.yourheartsage.com/tucson/.
Ways to Get Involved
The theme of this year’s American Heart Month – “Be the help until help arrives” – encourages us to educate and lend support to others who experience a cardiac emergency. Because heart disease is the leading cause of death in Pima County, understanding how to help others, as well as ourselves, is vital.
A few ways to get started as an enthusiastic American Heart Month participant:
- Know Your Numbers: Schedule a check-up with your primary care provider to learn your "big four" health numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI).
- Learn Hands-Only CPR: This simple skill can double or triple a person's chance of survival during a cardiac emergency.
- Eat "Heart-Smart": Focus on reducing sodium and saturated fats while increasing fiber (beans, oats and leafy greens).
- Use alcohol in moderation or not at all.
- The 10,000 Step Challenge: Obesity is one cause of heart disease, so it’s important to stay in a healthy weight range for your height, gender and age.
- Wear red! The American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” (which falls on Friday, Feb. 6, this year) is a chance to focus specifically on women’s heart health.
Your whole body, including your heart, will thank you for focusing on four general pillars of good health:
- Movement: Strive to get least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week.
- Sleep: Secure 7-9 hours of quality sleep to help regulate blood pressure.
- Stress Management: Practice mindfulness or deep breathing to reduce the strain on your heart.
- Quitting smoking: This can cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 50% within just one year.
Heart health can be influenced by certain genetic factors – but you can take action to reduce your risk of disease and care for your cardiovascular system.
To learn more about how Northwest Healthcare’s cardiovascular specialists may be able to help you with preventive and routine cardiac care, as well as with chronic conditions, click here.
Make an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider an important part of supporting your heart’s health. If you need to establish care with a primary care provider to make an appointment for your annual check-up, Northwest Healthcare offers convenient online scheduling at https://www.nwalliedphysicians.com/family-medicine-care and https://www.nwalliedphysicians.com/internal-medicine-care.
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