February is American Heart Month – the perfect time to give your heart much needed love. This month, our team encourages you and your loved ones to learn about the signs for heart disease, how you can avoid the risks and ways to implement healthy lifestyle changes.
To date, approximately 85.6 million people live with at least one type of cardiovascular disease. As the leading cause of death globally and surpassing all types of cancer combined, heart disease has been the top killer for years. In 2018, heart disease claimed 655,381 lives in the United States, with a rate of 163.6 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2017, that rate was 165 deaths. While this slight decrease is certainly good news, there is room for improvement and more work to be done.
As you likely know, one of the biggest challenges is controlling risk factors of heart disease. Take control of your health by staying active, filling your plate with healthier ingredients, and managing your cholesterol and blood pressure. With that, encourage your loved ones to make a healthy lifestyle switch. Doing this with another person provides the necessary support and guidance to keep you motivated!
Not controlling these risk factors contributes to heart disease, and unfortunately those already suffering from late stage heart disease have little hope other than to receive a lifesaving transplant – which only extends life expectancy by a mere 10 years due to all of the associated side effects of a donor transplant. And even given that prognosis, there are still not enough donor hearts to meet demand. Addressing risk factors for heart disease is not always easy but is critically important for everyone to do.
At BIOLIFE4D, our goal is to implement innovative change. Our incredible technology could make a profound difference. Not only are we addressing the tremendous lack of supply of donor hearts, but we are also addressing the challenges associated with rejection when a patient receives a donor heart. Patients who would receive a BIOLIFE4D bioengineered heart would not face these rejection issues and thus not need the massive immunosuppressant therapy specifically designed to address rejection.
This month, we are asking you to help us spread the word about American Heart Month and our equity crowdfunding campaign. With your help, we can transform the way heart disease is treated, save countless lives, and enhance the quality of life for all these patients. To those who have already helped, thank you so much. Without your support, we wouldn’t have made it this far without you!
To learn more about the updated statistics of heart disease and stroke, we recommend reading the American Heart Disease Association’s 2020 report. And if you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
– Team at BIOLIFE4D
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