Do you know the signs of a heart attack?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men, according to the Center for Disease Control. Roughly 659,000 people die from heart disease each year, roughly one in every four adults.
February is American Heart Month, and a time to remind people it’s a good time to know your numbers. What is your blood pressure?
Uncontrolled blood pressure or hypertension is one of the biggest flags for potential heart disease issues. Having high blood pressure usually has no symptoms. If you have high blood pressure, dietary changes like reducing salt in your diet can help with keeping that under control, as can medications and increasing your exercise and movement. The Surgeon General recommends adults get two and a half hours of moderate intensity exercise each week.
Healthy lifestyles, including eating more fruit and vegetables, keeping to a healthy body weight and getting more physical activity can help you on the road to preventing heart disease, epecially if you have other conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure.
There are other factors, like obesity, that can be detrimental to your health as well.
Smoking or tobacco use or significant alcohol use can also contribute to heart disease, as can diets high in high saturated fats, trans fat or cholesterol.
There are steps we can all take to lower or change those numbers that contribute to heart disease, and February is a great time to check those numbers and make a plan to keep your heart in more healthy shape.