CMO Message: Heart Health

Lead with your heart, not your head. Follow your heart. Your heart never lies.

The heart is the symbolic bedrock of emotion. It provides a barometer of how you are doing, whether you are thriving or just barely getting by. Your heart guides you in countless decisions both large and small - everything from your partner or career to what to wear today or how to spend a Sunday afternoon. You rely so much on your heart that feeling something is right often trumps knowing that it is.

When it comes to your physical health, however, your heart doesn’t always show you the way. Just because you feel like your heart is healthy doesn’t mean it or the rest of you is. By the time you notice that something is wrong with your heart, your body might have been suffering for years or even decades. There are so many “silent killers'' that can harm your heart - diabetes, hypertension, abnormal cholesterol levels, smoking, excessive alcohol, chronic stress, and sleep deprivation - just to name a few. These conditions or lifestyle factors might not cause any symptoms at all until your body is damaged beyond repair. They don’t just affect your heart either. They affect blood vessels throughout your whole body, which can lead to strokes, kidney disease, cancer, and blindness.

While the focus in February is on both the symbolic heart as well as the physical heart, remember that heart health equals overall health. At UnitedAg, we don’t want you to just feel healthy, we want you to know you are healthy. The only way to know for sure is to stay up to date on your annual physical exam. If you aren’t sure when you are due, contact your healthcare provider to schedule your appointment today. If you need help connecting to a provider, contact Member Services and we’ll get you the care you need. Your heart will thank you.