|
February is
Heart Health Awareness month!
Did you know that every 40 seconds someone
has a heart attack in the US? In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of
death for both men and women. Several health conditions such as: your
lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart
disease. These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans (47%) have at least one of
the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
and smoking. The good news is heart
disease is preventable, by living a healthy lifestyle; you can help
keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar normal and lower your risk for
heart disease and heart attack. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:
-Eating a healthy diet
-Choosing healthful meal and snack options can help
you avoid heart disease and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh
fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods
-Maintaining
a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese
increases your risk for heart disease. If you know your weight and height, you
can calculate your BMI at CDC’s Assessing Your Weight website.
-Getting
enough physical activity.
Physical activity can help
you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and
sugar levels. For adults, the Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes
of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week.
Children and adolescents should get 1 hour of physical activity every day.
-Not
smoking or using other forms of tobacco.
Cigarette smoking greatly
increases your risk for heart disease. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you
do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease.
-Limiting
alcohol use.
Avoid drinking too much
alcohol, which can raise your blood pressure. Men should have no more than 2
drinks per day, and women only 1.
Some of the risk factors
for heart disease cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But
you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
Information submitted by: Alice
Bailey, Intern at Clark County Health Department |
