Awareness Months 2023
This page will be used for all awareness campaigns, such as heart month in February, kidney and nutrition month in March, hypertension, and stroke awareness month in May, cholesterol month in September, Great American Smokeout in November, etc. Together we can increase awareness and reach our goals of educating and saving lives.
If you have an event to share for any awareness months, please let us know through email.
March is National Nutrition® Month
National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future.” Eating with sustainability in mind is a tasty way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that are sustainable and celebrate your unique needs.
Resources:
National Nutrition Month Toolkits
50 Ways to Celebrate
National Nutrition Month® Weekly Messages
Week 1: Eat with the environment in mind.
- Enjoy more plant-based meals and snacks.
- Purchase foods with minimal packaging.
- Buy foods in season and shop locally when possible.
- Start a container or backyard garden to grow food at home.
Week 2: See a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
- Ask your doctor for a referral to an RDN.
- Find an RDN who specializes in your unique needs.
- Learn how nutrient needs may change with age.
- Receive personalized nutrition information to meet your health goals.
Week 3: Stay nourished and save money.
- Plan your meals and snacks.
- See what food you have at home before purchasing more.
- Use a grocery list and shop sales when purchasing food.
- Learn about community resources such as SNAP, WIC and local food banks.
Week 4: Eat a variety of foods from all food groups.
- Include your favorite cultural foods and traditions.
- Eat foods in various forms including fresh, frozen, canned and dried.
- Avoid fad diets that promote unnecessary restrictions.
- Practice gratitude for your body by giving it the fuel it needs.
Week 5: Make tasty foods at home.
- Learn cooking and meal preparation skills.
- Try new flavors and foods from around the world.
- Find creative ways to use leftovers rather than tossing them.
- Create happy memories by eating with friends and family when possible.
February is American Heart Month
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the #1 contributor to racial disparities in life expectancy in the United States. Among those bearing the highest burden of CVD and related health consequences are Black adults. Black adults are twice as likely as White adults to die from preventable heart disease and have twice the rate of death from hypertension-related disorders.
The “Live to the Beat” campaign was launched by the CDC Foundation to support the Million Hearts® initiative. Its aim is to reduce CVD risk among Black adults ages 35–54 years, by encouraging moving more, eating better, quitting smoking, and addressing key risk factors, including hypertension, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.
This American Heart Month, CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) is excited to share “Live to the Beat” with you, along with valuable tools, resources, and programming in support of our shared mission to achieve equitable cardiovascular health across the nation. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Use the “Live to the Beat” campaign resources to share small steps to help Black adults in your community reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Check out and share the “Live to the Beat” Pulse Check, a new interactive experience that allows you to customize the small steps needed to improve your heart health.
- Share information about the “Live to the Beat” Community Ambassadors Network, a group of trusted leaders who share award-winning content and resources to help their community live their best, healthiest lives.
- Use the recently updated Best Practices for Heart Disease and Stroke: A Guide for Effective Approaches and Strategies to inform decision-making by translating evidence into specific public health actions that health care and public health professionals can take to address heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions within their own practice and communities.
To help jump-start your efforts, feel free to use the sample messages below in your social media and member communications:
- February is American #HeartMonth! Join @CDCHeart_Stroke in raising awareness about #HeartDisease and #StrokePrevention across all age groups, especially 35- to 54-year-olds. https://www.cdc.gov/heartmonth
- No matter where you are on your health journey, a healthier life is possible. This American Heart Month, live to the beat of your own heart and prevent cardiovascular disease on your terms. Learn more about the @Live to the Beat campaign. https://www.livetothebeat.org/
LinkedIn/Newsletter
- February is American Heart Month! Although cardiovascular disease (#CVD) death rates have increased across all demographic groups, Black populations continue to be disproportionately affected. Join the “Live to the Beat” campaign to help Black adults take small steps to prevent heart disease and stroke. https://www.livetothebeat.org/
May is American Stroke Month
Happy American Stroke Month! The American Heart Association is focusing on women and the unique risk factors that may put them at a higher risk for stroke. About 55,000 more women than men have a stroke every year and it’s the No. 4 cause of death for women. Most strokes can be prevented. In honor of Stroke Month, we ask all women to make a commitment to reclaim today for a better tomorrow.
Below are simple ways anyone can help:
- WATCH + SHARE the PSA.
- TEST your knowledge of women’s unique risk factors for stroke with this quiz.
- GET MOVING + BE INSPIRED by the special Together We Defeat Stroke playlist on Pandora, a compilation of suggestions from stroke survivors
- USE the Women and Stroke infographic (Spanish version here) to raise awareness about what puts women at a higher risk for stroke.
- ENSURE that everyone knows How to Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home.
- FOLLOW the AHA on Social Media, and post-campaign messages.
- LEARN the acronym F.A.S.T. at www.stroke.org/strokemonth and find additional campaign information.
Thank you for raising awareness about stroke in May!
Heart Month 2023
February is Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease, and it can be prevented.
The information below has been provided by National Forum Members and organized in this central location to be easily accessed, utilized and shared for better heart health.
Heart Disease, Stroke and other Cardiovascular Diseases
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD), listed as the underlying cause of death, accounted for 874,613 deaths in the United States in 2019.
• CVD claim more lives each year in the United States than all forms of cancer and Chronic Lower
Respiratory Disease (CLRD) combined.
• Between 2015 and 2018, 126.9 million US adults had some form of CVD. Between 2017 and 2018, direct and indirect costs of total CVD were $378.0 billion ($226.2. billion in direct costs and $151.8 billion in lost productivity/mortality).
• In 2015 to 2018 in the United States, 58.8% of non-Hispanic (NH) Black females and 60.1% of NH Black males had some form of CVD. This race category had the highest prevalence of CVD.
• In 2019 in the United States, coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause (41.3%) of deaths attributable to CVD in the United States, followed by other CVD (17.3%), stroke (17.2%), high blood pressure (11.7%), heart failure (9.9%), diseases of the arteries (2.8%).
• CVD accounted for 12% of total US health expenditures in 2017 to 2018. That is more than any major diagnostic group.
• CVD accounted for approximately 19.05 million global deaths in 2020
For Additional Data For Heart Disease
And Stroke Risk Factors Visit
The American Heart Association
CDC Division for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention American Heart Month is here! This year, CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is highlighting the importance of preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) across all ages, and we’re asking for your help! As you know, CVD continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States, and mortality rates are on the rise among younger populations. Help us to get the word out about CVD risk for all adults by retweeting one of our #HeartMonth messages: https://t.co/QaUXnSAF8n. For more social messages, graphics, and resources, check out our Heart Month toolkits at https://t.co/mKWzetd3R1. Make sure to tag us, @CDCHeart_Stroke, and include the #HeartMonth hashtag in your social media posts. Thank you for helping us celebrate American Heart Month 2023!
More Links for Social Media Below
Heart Month Community Resources
- The White House – Issued A Proclamation for American Heart Month.
- The Alliance for Aging Research – has marked February 22 as National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day. The goal of the campaign to increase recognition of the specific risks and symptoms of heart valve disease, improve detection and treatment, and ultimately save lives. Show your friends, family, and followers that you support Valve Disease Day by taking the pledge! Sign the pledge form and then let folks on social media know that you’ve taken action. This is great way for the patients, champions, clinicians, and other advocates in your networks to show their support and drum up excitement for the big day on February 22nd. It’s easy to use the handy graphics, prepared social media posts, and fun Instagram and Facebook filters which you can find here. Be sure to use #ValveDiseaesDay in your posts and encourage others to do the same!
- The American Heart Association – “Go Red for Women” movement warns that cardiovascular diseases continue to be a woman’s greatest health threat, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women. That’s a third of mothers, sisters and friends. There is also a new 2030 Impact Goal focuses on helping everyone everywhere live healthier, longer. There will be many new ways for communities and organizations to get involved. Learn more at professional.heart.org
- The American Kidney Fund – Has launched a new Kidney Health Coach Training Program . This no-cost, kidney disease education training module covers the essentials of kidney disease. The content of KHC is suitable for lay individuals to create awareness of kidney disease within community and workplace settings; and also as a tool for health professionals to educate their patients about preventing and managing kidney disease. Kidney Health Coach is available in both English and Spanish and qualifies as continuing education (CE) credit for eligible health professionals. Access social media graphics and the partner toolkit and which includes additional information about KHC, sample social media posts, and a link to the Kidney Health Coach training course.
- CDC – is promoting messages and resources to encourage people to talk with loved ones and healthcare providers about how to prevent and manage high cholesterol.
- Live To The Beat Campaign – “aims to help adults take steps to prevent heart disease and stroke.” – Join the virtual dance party February 23rd with DJ Jazzy Jeff.
- The National Forum – is offering use of a full suite of social media messages and videos that raise women’s intent to talk with their families and clinicians about cholesterol and how to manage it.
- The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has provided an outreach toolkit that includes social media resources, fact sheets, drop in articles, slides and flyers.
- WomenHeart’s #29DaysOfHeart campaign uplifts the voices of black women and highlights their own heart journeys. We will host a four-week series of interviews LIVE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube – tune in each Friday at 1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT. We invite you to Partner with us! Partnership entails sharing graphics and messages to raise awareness on your own channels and/or sharing and engaging with WomenHeart’s posts throughout the month. You can access graphics and sample social media messages on our #29DaysofHeart website. In return you will be added to our list of Supporting and Partnering Organizations on the page.
Important Dates in February
2/1-2/29 American Heart Month
2/4 World Cancer Day
2/7 National Wear Red Day
2/13-19 Heart Failure Awareness Week
2/7-2/14 Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week
2/14 National Donor Day
2/14 Valentine’s Day
2/19 President’s Day
2/22 Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day
Resources
For Health Professionals
• Hypertension Communications Kit
Use these shareable messages and graphics to help your audiences understand what
hypertension is and why managing blood pressure is important for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• High Blood Pressure Fact Sheets
Print and share these resources to increase understanding about the risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of high blood pressure.
• Supporting Your Patients with High Blood Pressure pdf icon[PDF – 1 MB]external icon Download this Million Hearts® ® checklist as a guide during visits with patients who are working to control high blood pressure.
The American Kidney Fund invites you to become an AKF Kidney Health Coach and access the Kidney Health Coach training course. Please share this information with your colleagues, staff, organizations and anyone you think would benefit from learning about or teaching others about the importance of preventing and managing kidney disease and how it relates to heart health.
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Please use these resources and graphics to share the importance of heart health this month. Together we can impact the lives of millions of people for the better.
Controlling blood pressure can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. Encouraging our communities to know their numbers is one key to control. Measuring blood pressure, both in the doctor’s office and at-home, is an empowering way they can manage and prevent hypertension.
American Heart Month, is an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their Hearts® and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved. The first American Heart Month, which took place in February 1964, was proclaimed by President Lyndon B. Johnson via Proclamation 3566 on December 30, 1963.
-The Congress requested that the President annually issue a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month.
-American Heart Month is a federally designated month in the United States but it is important to realize that cardiovascular disease knows no borders.
Share on Facebook and Twitter
• This coming #HeartMonth, let’s work toward #BloodPressure control together. Explore @CDCHeart_Stroke’s partner toolkit for shareable messages, graphics, and handouts! http://bit.ly/2MzKPga
• February is #HeartMonth! Join @CDCHeart_Stroke in encouraging others on their journey to #BloodPressure control. This partner toolkit is a great place to start! http://bit.ly/2MzKPga
• High #BloodPressure control is within reach! Check out @CDCHeart_Stroke’s partner toolkit for ways to empower others on their journey to control and better heart health. http://bit.ly/2MzKPga #HeartMonth
Go Red For Women
G: GET YOUR NUMBERS
O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE
R: REALIZE YOUR RISK
E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY
D: DON’T BE SILENT – Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer.
Workplace Resource Guide
Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to provide the education and resources necessary to improve heart health.
The CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke Map Widget allows you to share high-quality, local-level data on heart disease and stroke in your state. The Widget makes it possible to display county and state maps of heart disease and stroke on any agency’s website. With the Heart Disease and Stroke Map Widget, you can display:
State specific maps of county-level heart disease mortality
A national map with state-level data for comparison
Maps by race/ethnicity and gender
Visit Heart Disease and Stroke Widget to learn more about the Widget and how health departments are using it to help prevent heart disease and stroke.