HEART MONTH! February, the month of valentines and flowers, is also American Heart Month. It’s a good reminder that it is important to monitor the heart health of yourself and your family. Although advances in medical research have significantly improved our ability to fight heart disease by providing new treatments and greater knowledge about its causes, heart disease continues to be America's number one killer. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, kills more Americans than the next five leading causes of death combined. During American Heart Month you can help stop this “equal opportunity” killer of women, men and children by familiarizing yourself with risk factors, various warning signs, and lifesaving emergency response techniques. Your regional hospitals and county health departments as well as your local chapters of the American Heart and American Medical Associations can be valuable resources.