LEWISTON, ME — Central Maine Healthcare team members are wearing red on Fridays throughout the month of February.

February is American Heart Month, a time when everyone-especially women-are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women in the US. and around the world.

The team at Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute (CMHVI) encourages everyone to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle choices that include a balanced diet, exercise and stress management.

“Heart Month is a chance for us to remind everyone that you can make a difference in your life by taking charge of your own health,” said Michael Berlowitz, MD, chief of CMHVI. “Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked. If you smoke, quit. Get a good night’s sleep and be sure to get regular heart health screenings.”

Every Wednesday this month, CMHVI will host a heart health booth in the lobby of 60 High St. on the CMMC campus from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 

CMHVI offers advanced treatments for all arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Last year, its vascular lab earned a three-year accreditation in peripheral arterial, peripheral venous and extracranial cerebrovascular testing from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission. CMHVI was the first in Maine to offer pulsed field ablation, a new technology to treat atrial fibrillation more safely and in less time. CMHVI also started a dedicated hypertension and lipid clinic and a new preventive cardiology program. The vascular surgery team recently performed its 50th TCAR, the latest in minimally invasive procedures to treat carotid disease.

Central Maine Healthcare team members wearing red pose in the shape of a heart.