CONYERS, Ga. – During the weekend, over 175 committed runners and walkers came out for Piedmont Rockdale Hospital’s second annual 5K event to help raise awareness about heart disease, despite the chance of rain.   

“This race is a fun way to engage our community and promote heart health,” Blake Watts, executive director of operations at Piedmont Rockdale, said. “We appreciate the community’s support of this event. It is really great to see so many people come out to raise awareness for the importance of heart health."  

This year’s course started and finished at Piedmont Rockdale, taking runners through areas of Olde Town Conyers. The 5K aims to educate the community about the dangers of heart disease and provides tools that teach community members about heart disease prevention through heathy lifestyle choices, such as a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise. 

“As the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., it’s important to ensure people are educated about ways to prevent heart disease from occurring,” Watts said. “This event gives us the opportunity to do just that, through the support of the cardiovascular services here at Piedmont Rockdale and Piedmont Heart of Conyers.” 

Heart and blood vessel disease, also known as heart disease, causes around one in every four deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the American Heart Association. Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, age, gender, and ethnicity. 

For more information about cardiovascular services offered at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital and Piedmont Heart of Conyers, visit piedmont.org.