Published February 11, 2025

Did you know that in the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups? (Center for Disease Control (CDC), n.d.) February is American Heart Month—a month dedicated to motivating Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2024). Despite all the risk factors for heart disease, people should always take proactive steps to care for their heart at any age.

Common Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Risk factors for heart disease include certain health conditions or unhealthy habits that make heart disease more likely to develop. Some risk factors can be modified to lower the risk of heart disease, while others cannot.

Although these are the most common risk factors, people should not neglect their heart health if they do not currently see themselves fitting into one of these categories.

Taking Control of Your Destiny

Courtney Shoda, a healthy young woman in her mid-20s, experienced an accident in 2017 during one of her collegiate soccer games that led to a sudden cardiac arrest and, four years later, an eventual heart transplant. Courtney is an example that, beyond the list of the most common risk factors for heart disease, there is the potential for situations that may serve as a wake-up call to take care of your heart when you least expect it. 

Courtney was relatively healthy before her accident—regularly playing soccer, exercising, and doing CrossFit. After experiencing commotio cordis, a rare medical condition that typically happens after a sudden, blunt impact to the chest (American Heart Association, 2023), resulting in her cardiac arrest, she began to look at her health through a different lens.

In between her first cardiac arrest and heart transplant, Courtney was an emergency medical technician (EMT). Courtney reflected on her career path: “I wanted to give back to those people [who helped me] and show that I’m making a difference and it matters.” She learned more about the proper measures to keep your body healthy through her studies, which was especially helpful when caring for herself.

Four years later, in 2021, Courtney suffered another cardiac arrest that not only led to her heart working at only 20% but also resulted in an anoxic brain injury, when the brain does not receive enough oxygen, which can cause nerve and brain damage. After staying in the intensive care unit (ICU), the doctors determined that she would need a heart transplant. Since then, Courtney has been growing stronger and shared that one thing that motivates her is knowing that “I am in control of my own destiny.”

Lack of Awareness

Oftentimes, people may not be educated on the proper measures to protect their heart. Heart-healthy living involves understanding your risk, making healthy choices, and reducing your chances of heart disease (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2024). 

“I think that a lot of people nowadays are lacking self-awareness… If you don’t feel well, you have to do what is best for your well-being—go hydrate, get yourself a good meal, make sure you’re resting, and take care of your body,” Courtney shared. 

Taking Action

After her heart transplant, Courtney shared that the doctors said she would not make any significant progress in her recovery after two years. “After one year, the neurologist said that basically whatever you accomplish in the next year is your peak. And I was like, ‘No,’ and proved her wrong. I had that mindset when someone tells me I can’t do something, I will do it.” 

Although Courtney was made aware that heart disease is not currently the highest health concern after her heart transplant, she has to continue to take the proper measures to ensure that her body does not reject her new heart. She does this by regularly taking prescribed medication and staying active by going to physical therapy and getting her body moving. Courtney emphasized, “You need to move your body every day. I’m not saying you have to go for a run, a long walk, or go to the gym for hours. You just need to get up and move your body or stretch.”

Courtney went above and beyond through her determination to strengthen her mind, heart, and body. Four years later, she is still making more and more progress every day.