APhA encourages consumers to consult pharmacists about heart health

WASHINGTON — February is American Heart Month, and a professional group representing the country’s pharmacists is using that as an opportunity to encourage the public to learn how to prevent heart disease from the most easily accessible members of the healthcare system.

The American Pharmacists Association said people should talk to their pharmacists about available screening and consultative services that could prevent and detect health problems usually associated with heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and is a major cause of disability, with an estimated 785,000 having first-time heart attacks, and 470,000 having recurrent attacks in 2010, according to the American Heart Association.

Services that pharmacists often offer include blood-pressure screenings; cholesterol screenings; basal metabolism index screenings; blood-glucose testing; tobacco-cessation counseling; and counseling on diet, exercise and healthy living, the APhA noted.