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Healing hearts is central to the mission of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. For over 40 years, our team has been at the forefront of cardiovascular research and education, striving to improve care and outcomes for patients worldwide. Heart Month serves as a yearly reminder of what it means—and what it takes—to ensure strong, healthy hearts.
If you or someone you love has experienced heart disease, you understand its profound impact. We are committed to educating our community:
- Approximately 11.6 million Americans are estimated to have heart valve disease, with 3 out of 4 people knowing little about it.
- More than 7 in 10 women are unaware they have heart disease until they suffer a heart attack.
- In the United States, a heart attack strikes someone every 40 seconds, and a cardiac arrest occurs every 90 seconds.
- This results in about 800,000 heart attacks annually (including 600,000 first-time attacks) and 356,000 cardiac arrests per year.
Interested in learning more heart health facts? Take our heart valve disease quiz!
We hope you’ll celebrate this month with us by:
- Participating in our Healing Hearts is Our Mission campaign and sharing with us what’s most important to you during this month. Go to mplsheart.org/healing to participate and spread the word on social using #HealingHearts
- Wearing red on National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 7: Raise awareness by sharing a photo on social media with #WearRedDay.
- Joining us for our Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day event on February 22. MHIF will host From Basics to Breakthroughs: Heart Valve Health and Vitality, a free education event discussing the latest in heart valve disease research and treatments for local community members. Register and learn more. If you’re unable to join us, catch the recording after!
- Learning more about how to prevent heart disease. In fact, a healthy lifestyle can significantly decrease your risk for heart disease by up to 80 percent. Click here for resources and to learn about actions you can take to reduce your risk.
- Attending an upcoming Aortic Health Symposium and Survivor Recognition Dinner on February 21 with one of our community partners, Rock from the Heart. MHIF researchers, Drs. Sebastian Iturra, Edwin Zishiri, and Elliot Stephenson are speakers at the symposium and key contributors to cardiovascular research at MHIF. To learn more about the symposium, or Rock from the Heart's benefit concert featuring the Spin Doctors at the Palace Theater on February 22, visit rockfromtheheart.org.
- Sharing the CDC’s heart valve disease toolkits – these resources are available for patients, health care professionals and more to better understand key information on heart valve disease.
But heart health awareness doesn’t stop there, it's important to carry these lessons with you.
Stay connected to your support system—whether it's your family, healthcare providers, or our team at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. For some extra inspiration, check out the patient stories we celebrate—they’re at the heart of our mission!
