Matters of the Heart
Tuesday, February 20th, 2018
February is American Heart Month and an excellent opportunity for us to remind our patients to be conscious of good heart health. In the U.S., 2300 people die of cardiovascular disease every day. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women.
Pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood every day and beating about 42 million times over the course of a year, your heart works hard to keep you alive. There is no arguing about the importance of heart health if we are to stay active and live a long, healthy life.
Know your numbers:
Awareness is the first step to preventing or treating heart disease. As blood cholesterol rises, so does your risk of coronary heart disease. Your total cholesterol includes LDL or bad cholesterol, HDL or good cholesterol and Triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends that everyone should have a cholesterol check at age 20 and then every four to six years – or more often if you have a high risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Other risk factors include:
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Smoking
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High blood pressure
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Obesity
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Diabetes
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Physical inactivity
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Poor diet
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Stress
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Excessive alcohol consumption
Heart Attack warning signs can vary between women and men. View Common Heart Attack Warning Signs, and please dial 911 if you believe you are experiencing a heart attack. Minutes matter.
The good news is that regardless of your age, you can take steps to reduce your risk of heart disease. Keep moving, eat right and work with your healthcare provider to put a plan in place to get … and stay heart healthy.
