American Heart Month

Keeping our hearts healthy and thriving is imperative to survival, which is why in 1963- exactly 60 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared the month of February American Heart Month.

Some fun facts… did you know?

• The word courage is derived from the Latin word cor – which means heart.
• The heart is the 4^th largest solid, internal organ, and is the hardest working muscle in the human body. It works twice as hard as the leg muscles do when sprinting.
• Two hands clasped together size-wise, producing 2 ounces of blood per beat – the heart will eventually pump enough blood to fill 86 Olympic-size swimming pools in one’s lifetime.
• The heart beats on average 100,000 times per day, 4 million times per year, and between 2.5 and 3 billion times over the course of a person’s existence.
• Delivering oxygenated blood and nutrients to the one-hundred trillion cells in the human body (the cornea is the only exception), while removing CO2, toxins, and waste – the heart is at the center of our circulation system.

Every year, more than 600,000 Americans die from heart disease. Heart and cardiovascular disease does not discriminate and is the number one cause of death for most groups – affecting all ages, genders, and ethnicities. It is not new and dates back as far as 1200+ B.C.E. – when traces of cardiovascular disease were found in Egyptian mummies.

Our employees and customers are at the “heart” of our company. It is essential that we encourage one another to invest in our own well-being by taking an active role in reducing the risk of heart disease. This is why Hitachi Solutions wants to take ‘a beat’ and recognize American Heart Month.

Do you know how to keep your heart healthy?

• Move more. Get 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
• Aim for a healthy weight and BMI.
• Cook and eat healthy meals.
• Manage stress and improve sleep.
• Know your numbers – track your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Make sure you take some time to learn about heart health risks.

Celebrate American Heart Month with us by taking good care of yourself… and your heart!