CVS/pharmacy Taking Health to Heart in February
Health services, educational resources and special product offerings available in store during American Heart Health Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. More than 36% of deaths in the nation each year are the result of heart-related illnesses and an estimated 80 million people in the U.S. have some form of cardiovascular disease. Many forms of heart disease are associated with or worsened by modifiable risk factors, such as an unhealthy diet, smoking, obesity or lack of exercise.
In collaboration with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign about heart disease sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, CVS/pharmacy has created a free educational resource booklet, Your Smart Guide to a Healthy Heart, which is available at all CVS/pharmacy locations nationwide. This comprehensive educational booklet provides patients with information on heart disease symptoms, risk factors, and tips for maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle. The booklet also features money-saving offers through the CVS ExtraCare program on over-the-counter medications, healthy food items, and diabetes monitoring products.
In addition to these heart health resources, CVS pharmacists are available to counsel patients. Also, at about 500 CVS/pharmacy locations that have MinuteClinic retail health clinics, certified nurse practitioners are available to check patients’ blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
“The term ‘heart disease’ covers a long list of conditions related to the function of the heart, so it is important for patients to educate themselves on heart disease prevention and treatment,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Caremark. “We encourage our patients to speak to their pharmacist about medication therapies, prescription or over the counter, that they are taking related to their heart health, and to visit one of our in-store MinuteClinic locations for a health screening.”
CVS/pharmacy offers the following tips to help prevent or manage heart disease:
- Aspirin can reduce your risk of a heart attack by as much as 32% and reduce the risk of a second attack by 20%.
- Get your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
- Diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease; if you are diabetic know your type to determine what medications or lifestyle changes are needed to manage the disease.
- Lose weight if you are overweight; quit if you are a smoker.
- Manage stress by getting enough sleep, setting limits and consulting medical professionals if necessary.
CVS.com, CVS/pharmacy’s online pharmacy, has also launched a Heart Health Month web site at www.cvs.com/hearthealth. The site features excerpts from the Your Smart Guide to a Healthy Heart booklet and special product offers.
About CVS/pharmacy
CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), is America’s largest retail pharmacy with more than 6,800 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores. CVS/pharmacy is committed to improving the lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at www.cvscaremark.com.
CONTACT:
Mike DeAngelis
CVS/pharmacy
401-770-2645
mjdeangelis@cvs.com
SOURCE CVS/pharmacy