February is American Heart Month! This month is the time to remind everyone to focus on their hearts and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved. Did you know that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year? That’s approximately one woman every minute! Heart disease has been known to hit adults at a much older age, but it’s happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages This is the time to maintain good health to prevent these types of diseases. Here’s 4 ways to take control on your heart health:
Don’t smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.
Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed. Learn more about preventing and managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Make heart-healthy eating changes. Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half of your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. Learn more about how to reduce sodium.
Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks. Learn more about how to get enough physical activity.
It’s also important to spread awareness about heart disease. You can start making a difference in your communities and on your college campus. Make sure to talk about the symptoms and common misconceptions! Often times people miss the signs and see their side effects as something other than heart disease.The biggest part of living healthy comes down to simply making healthy choices. While you can’t change things like age and family history, the good news is that even modest changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your heart health and lower your risk by as much as 80 percent.
For more facts about women’s heart disease visit goredforwomen.org.