Gordon Graham
Category: Public Safety

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for everyone. February is American Heart Month and today’s tip deals with heart health. 

Observe American Heart Month this year by getting screened for heart disease. 

When was the last time you had your heart checked? Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans? It accounts for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States.  

Even more shocking, is some information published in 2015 by Dr. Jonathan Sheinberg. He noted that “The life expectancy of a police officer is 20 years less than his or her civilian counterpart.” He also wrote that “the average age of a law enforcement officer who has suffered a heart attack is 45 years, compared to 67 years of age for the general population.” 

So, what can we do? How can we prevent falling victim to these statistics? We know that there are many factors that contribute to heart disease, like high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking. One thing is very clear. These conditions are all affected by our lifestyle choices.  

Observe American Heart Month this year by getting screened for heart disease. If a screening is not provided as part of your yearly work physical, ask your personal doctor.  

Now is also the perfect time to make those lifestyle changes you’ve been putting off. Take steps to improve your health and lower your risk for heart disease. Do you need to lose weight, improve your diet, exercise more, or stop smoking?  

Take care of your heart to help ensure a long and healthy career. 

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham, signing off.