Heart disease has greatly impacted my family. In 2002, I lost an older brother to a heart attack at the young age of 50. The sad part is that this was very preventable, and he left behind a wife, 3 kids and 4 grandchildren. My father passed later at age 79 to a heart attack after 2 very successful open-heart surgeries earlier in life. I'm thankful for the research advancements that provided this open-heart surgery technology.
I have a leaky aortic heart valve and my cardiologist is optimistic (with all the heart research efforts and developments) that they can prevent future surgeries for me and others. He has helped my focus on heart health: weight (BMI), blood pressure and cholesterol, exactly what "Life's Essential 8" (from AHA) promotes.
My goal is to make people aware of the essential 8 and challenge them to improve their overall health so they can be there for their spouses, kids and grandkids.