February – American Heart Month

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This is a time when the nation spotlights heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans.  According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing one in four deaths each year.

Research shows that stress can make us more likely to get heart disease and have a heart attack.

Risk factors, such as high blood pressure, increase your chance of developing heart disease. The more risks you have, the higher your overall risk.

February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. Taking time to care for your heart can be challenging as you go about daily life.

Heart-healthy living involves understanding your risk, making healthy choices, and taking steps to reduce your chances of getting heart disease, including coronary heart disease, the most common type. By taking preventive measures, you can lower your risk of developing heart disease that could lead to a heart attack. You can also improve your overall health and well-being.

Consider making one, or several, of the below lifestyle changes. Here’s how to start:

Move more

• Get at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week—that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

• Can’t carve out a lot of time in your day? Don’t chuck your goal, chunk it! Try 5, 10, or 15 minutes a few times a day. Some physical activity is better than none.

Eat healthy foods

• A healthy diet that is low in sodium and saturated fat is key to heart disease prevention.

• Such as eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, vegetable oils, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.

• Limiting foods with sugar and other sweeteners.

Aim for a healthy weight

• Being overweight is hard on your heart. It increases your risk of having heart disease, a stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

• Choosing heart-healthy foods and getting regular exercise will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Quit smoking

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke harm your heart and blood vessels in many ways.

• Quitting is hard, but many people have succeeded, and you can too. Ask your family and friends for support in your effort.

Reduce stress and improve sleep

• Stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart risks.

• Not getting enough sleep or regularly getting poor quality sleep increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions. Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep a night.

Know your numbers

• Meet your heart health goals by keeping track of how much you exercise, your blood pressure, your cholesterol numbers—all of which can impact your heart health—and tell your doctor how you’re doing.