February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the US. But did you know that heart disease doesn’t just affect older adults? Many younger folks are affected due to existing conditions and risk factors such as high blood pressure and obesity. About 4-10% of all heart attacks occur before the age of 45.
Some other risk factors of heart disease are high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. However, just because you have an existing condition or a risk factor, does not mean that you can’t decrease your risk. A whopping 80% of cardiovascular disease is considered preventable!
Here are a few things that you can do to reduce your risk:
Quit smoking! Smoking damages almost every organ and puts you at risk for all sorts of preventable medical problems. This includes heart disease as cigarette smoke decreases the amount of oxygen in your blood making your heart work harder to oxygenate your body. Even if you’re not a smoker, be sure to avoid second-hand smoke!
Manage your health conditions by getting cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure monitored and under control to prevent damage. I like to take the chance to use this as a reminder for people to get their annual check-ups!
Eat healthy and get moving! 150 minutes of exercise a week is ideal. Work to limit your intake of sugars, salts, processed carbohydrates, and saturated or trans fats!
For more information, catch me on Living808 to learn more about cardiac risk factors, symptoms, and lifestyle modifications!
While the information on the Site was prepared to provide accurate information regarding topics related to general and specific health issues, the information contained in the Site is made available with the express understanding that neither Dr. Rupie or the other experts on the Site, nor the Site itself, nor members of the Site are dispensing medical advice and do not intend any of this information to be used for self diagnosis or treatment. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND BEFORE STARTING OR STOPPING ANY TREATMENT OR ACTING UPON INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE, YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR OWN PHYSICIAN OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
Leave a Reply