Dr. Joshua Knowles talks about the importance of recognizing American Heart Month

Joshua Knowles, MD, an Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University, highlights the importance of recognizing American Heart Month in February.

Joshua Knowles, MD:

Every year around this time where American Heart Month occurs and it’s critically important for all physicians and healthcare providers to really understand that heart disease is and has been the leading cause of death in the United States for over 100 years. It’s really important to acknowledge that and to really emphasize this to patients to do extra reading, to engage with patients, but it’s also important to realize that heart disease happens every month and this should not be a conversation that’s left to one month. This should be an every day, every hour, every minute thought that crosses your mind. Every patient that we see, we need to look at their cardiovascular risk factors, their family history, and emphasize to them that, no matter what they have, they’re at risk for heart disease.