Posted on February 11, 2022 at 12:00 AM by Blog Committee
National Heart Health Month
February is American Heart Health month, making it a great time to think about how you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
Did you know that heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for both men and women? To put that into perspective, according to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 25% of deaths in the United States are caused from heart disease. These findings are concerning, but there are simple, healthy lifestyle choices you can make to help avoid heart complications and related illnesses. These lifestyle habits include quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity. These lifestyle changes don’t need to happen all at once, but instead can be started with small steps. Why not start this month?
Here are some healthy lifestyle choices you do to observe American Heart Month:
- Take up one heart-healthy habit in February. For example, you could substitute sodas with water, eat a vegetable each day, or swap the sweets for a piece of fruit.
- Get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked. Having high blood pressure and cholesterol can put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. What many don’t know is that there are little to no signs of high blood pressure and cholesterol, which is why getting your cholesterol levels check is so important.
- Educate yourself. Continue to research ways you can help prevent heart disease and know the signs of a heart attack and stroke.
You can find more information about cardiovascular health by visiting the American Heart Association website.
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