You’ve all heard this fact before: heart disease (including heart attacks and heart failure) is the leading cause of death among American men and women, claiming around 600,000 lives each year. But what are you doing about it? Are you and your family working on the controllable risk factors that play a role in this largely preventable disease?
For example, how are you doing with these controllable risk factors?
—Cholesterol levels
—Blood pressure
—Obesity
—Diabetes
—Tobacco use
—Physical activity
During American Heart Month this February, it’s the perfect time to ride the momentum of your New Year’s resolutions and move towards a more heart-healthy lifestyle. That means making small to large changes in your daily routine that really pay off. From what you eat to how much walking you do, take stock of what you can control…and share your experiences with other PatientsLikeMe members.
Not sure where to start? Use a BMI calculator to find out whether your Body Mass Index (BMI) falls within a healthy range. Also, make sure you go in for an annual checkup this year, which will give you and your doctor a chance to look at your cholesterol, blood pressure and heartbeat. That way, if there’s a red flag anywhere, you can start doing something about it sooner rather than later.
Also, it’s always a good idea to brush up on the warning signs of a heart attack – and how they may be different for men and women. Here’s to keeping the blood pumping this year and many more!
Nice post…