February is American Heart Month
Since February is American Heart Month, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss how to keep our hearts healthy. Some tips will not surprise anyone such as don’t smoke, maintain a healthy weight and exercise. But I want to get more specific on ways to prevent heart disease because a healthy heart is a happy heart. Let’s begin by looking at the top risk factors for heart disease according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) (a division of the National Institutes for Health (NIH).
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- diabetes or pre-diabetes
- smoking
- being overweight or obese
- sedentary lifestyle
- family history of heart disease
- unhealthy diet
- having preeclampsia during pregnancy
- age (greater than 55 for women)
- And I will add Chronic Stress
Know Your Risk Factors
Some risk factors we can’t control such as our age or family history. The good news is we can control other risk factors in most cases by making some diet and lifestyle changes. First, we need to know whether we have any risk factors. See how many Yes responses you have based on the questions below.
- Do you have a family history of heart disease?
- Do you have high blood pressure (above 120/80)?
- Do you know your blood cholesterol levels? Is your LDL and/or triglycerides above normal?
- Do you have pre-diabetes or diabetes?
- Do you smoke?
- Are you considered overweight or obese?
- Do you spend most of the day sitting?
If you answered Yes to multiple questions above, your risk of heart disease is increased. Fortunately, these are things that can be changed by following a healthy diet and lifestyle. Research and observation tell us that certain habits can protect us from (or at least delay) the onset of heart disease. These modifiable risk factors take some effort to put into practice, but they are worth it to protect one of your most precious organs – your heart.
How to Improve Risk Factors
See how many questions below you can answer Yes to. How is your diet and lifestyle stacking up against heart disease?
- Do you get more than 30 minutes of exercise (in addition to your normal daily activity) most days of the week?
- Do you get 5 servings of fruits and vegetables most days of the week?
- Do you limit sodium, saturated and trans fats in your diet?
- How about your stress level? Do you have a healthy outlet for managing stress?
Did you answer Yes to all the diet and lifestyle questions? If not, is there an area you need to start focusing on to get healthier? We are going to look at each modifiable risk factor in a series of posts during the month of February. Look for more articles to come regarding blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, exercise, stress management, and a healthy weight.
More Information
For more information, you can find a free 127-page book “The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women” from the NHLBI website. There are other resources for men as well but this one is particularly geared to create awareness of heart disease in women. Heart disease is still the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States. Let’s work on making our heart happy and healthy this February.
