The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) announced its support for American Heart Month, an annual national observance held during February to raise awareness of the risk factors, signs and symptoms and preventive measures associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CVD is the leading cause of death in the United States, and claims nearly 2,300 lives every day.

In North Carolina, CVD is the second leading cause of death behind cancer, recording more than 23,000 deaths in 2010, according to “The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in North Carolina — September 2012 Update.”

Though often used interchangeably with heart disease, CVD refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels, which can lead to ...