As we celebrate American Heart Month, February is the perfect time for you to focus on your heart health. Various heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies and high blood pressure/hypertension can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). On top of that, those with heart conditions may also face struggles with wounds that just won’t heal. Coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and other heart conditions can hinder blood flow, oxygen and nutrition from helping to heal a wound.
There are many forms of cardiovascular disease that can reduce your ability to heal. Many people living with heart disease are also living with other conditions, like diabetes, that can damage arteries and veins. People living with heart disease, heart failure or valve problems are at a greater risk for developing a non-healing, chronic wound. So are those living with PAD, coronary artery disease (CAD), venous disease or atherosclerosis. Those who have had arrhythmia, a heart attack or a stroke are also at risk. Smoking, or even just a history of smoking, increases these risks.
There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease. Here are a few our physicians recommend: