NORTHAMPTON – February is American Heart Month and Wednesdays at Cooley Dickinson Hospital are heart nights. CDH will offer free community programs featuring Cooley Dickinson Hospital experts. To register, call (888) 554-4CDH (234).

Executive Chef Gary Weiss and Dr. James Kirchhoffer, cardiologist/electrophysiologist, will teach attendees how to prepare a healthy meal on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Dakin Conference Room. Heart-smart Cooking Live! includes demos and sampling. Seating is limited.

On Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m., Dr. George Hartnell and Dr. Julia Gates host How to Keep your Arteries and Veins in Shape in Conference Room B. As interventional radiologists, Hartnell and Gates will explain the basics of Peripheral Artery Disease, what attendees should ask their doctor, and how to prevent diseases of the heart and veins.

R.F. Conway, MD, medical director of the Cooley Dickinson Emergency Department will host Heart Attack 101 on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. (New date due to bad weather on Feb. 2) in the Dakin Conference Room. Dr. Conway will teach attendees the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, how those symptoms differ for men and women and when it is appropriate to call 9-1-1.

According to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Community Health Assessment report, heart disease is the leading cause of death for people over age 65 in both Hampshire and Franklin Counties.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the number one cause of death. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.