February is American Heart Month: A Call to Heart Health for All
Poverty Can Cost 7 Years of Life. Access to Care Can Give Them Back.

Every February, Americans observe American Heart Month, a reminder that heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for roughly 1 in every 5 deaths each year.

But heart health isn’t just about statistics. It’s about access to care and the real differences in outcomes that social and economic circumstances make. Research consistently shows that people with lower incomes are less likely to receive preventive screenings for heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol — essential services that can help stop disease before it starts.

The impact of poverty on health is stark: Americans in the bottom half of the income distribution can expect to live years fewer than those in wealthier communities. One analysis found that people living in the bottom 50% of U.S. counties ranked by median household income have about seven fewer years of life expectancy than those in the top 1%.

For many in Lake County facing financial hardship, accessing quality heart care, or care of any kind, isn’t guaranteed. At United Way of Lake County, that’s where our support for the Lake County Free Clinic makes a vital difference. By funding and partnering with them, we help ensure that uninsured and underinsured residents right here in our local community can get preventive care, chronic disease management, and heart health support that might otherwise be out of reach. It is just one of the many ways our donors make a critical impact in the lives of those in need.

This American Heart Month, let’s remember that heart health is connected to health equity, and that supporting local care for those in need isn’t just compassionate, it’s lifesaving. For every $25 donated, $300 in free medical care can be provided.