To the Editor:

Did you know that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number-one killer of all Americans? In fact, someone dies from CVD every 39 seconds! Heart disease also kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. And congenital cardiovascular defects are the most common cause of infant death from birth defects.

But we have the power to change that. Research suggests up to 80 percent of heart disease and stroke may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Each of us can do that through more exercise and a better diet, and by supporting the work of the American Heart Association.

I’m asking families, organizations, and businesses in Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties to support the American Heart Association’s Central New Jersey Heart Walk set for Saturday, October 7 at 8:30 a.m. at Arm and Hammer Park, home of the Trenton Thunder. Heart Walk, the signature community event for the association’s Healthy for Good movement, is held throughout the country to educate the public about the small steps they can take to improve their heart health while also raising vital funds for research to prevent and treat heart disease and stroke, the nation’s top killers.

The American Heart Association is committed to helping individuals and businesses foster a culture of health, and to providing science-based treatment guidelines to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public.

For more information on the Central New Jersey Heart Walk, visit www.CentralNJHeartWalk.org.

Gina Petrone Mumolie DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Senior Vice President  

Hospital Administration, Capital Health