Postal Service employees did their part to raise awareness of heart disease throughout February, which is American Heart Month.
Post Offices, processing and distribution centers, and other facilities hosted health fairs where employees could screen their blood pressure, talk to health care providers and receive tips and information.
USPS employees also participated in National Wear Red Day, which the American Heart Association organizes each year.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, accounting for approximately 1 in every 4 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol or smoking, CDC reports. Heart disease can be prevented through managing diet, exercise and stress.
“Heart disease takes the lives of our family, friends and loved ones,” said Walter Stokes, a transportation manager who participated in National Wear Red Day at the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center.
“It’s my hope that these events will bring awareness to the symptoms, the causes and what we can do to prevent it.”