Department of Health Reports Heart Disease is the Leading Cause of Death in New Mexico

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) reports the leading cause of death for both men and women in the state is heart disease – this as the department raises awareness of American Heart Month in February and National Wear Red Day® Friday, February 1^st.

“Heart health should never be ignored by New Mexicans,” said Department of Health Secretary Designate Kathyleen Kunkel. “Heart disease not only can cost you your life but an unhealthy heart also adds to the estimated $1.8 billion dollars spent every year in our state on heart disease-related medical bills.

NMDOH’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program is kicking off the month of February asking both health department employees and residents statewide to wear red on Friday, February 1^st. National Wear Red Day® encourages everyone around you to take better care of themselves to prevent heart disease and helps raise awareness of the effect bad heart health can have on the people closest to you.

Over the last 10 years, heart disease has been responsible for an average of 3,406 deaths per year in New Mexico. In 2017, it accounted for 21 percent of all deaths in the state.

Heart disease is preventable, and you can make healthy changes to lower your chance of developing it. Risk factors include:

For more information on heart disease in New Mexico and prevention tips, visithttps://nmtracking.org/health/cardio/HeartAttack.html.  You can also find additional details about National Wear Red Day® at https://www.heart.org/.