National Heart Month — Four Easy Ways to Show Your Heart Some Love

Your heart is one of the hardest working parts of your body and it beats around the clock, only getting a break when you relax or sleep. It’s also one of the most threatened. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. — about one in four deaths. Additionally, in the U.S., someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. And about one in five of those heart attacks is silent – meaning you may not be aware of damage to your heart that is happening or has already taken place.

February is American Heart Month, a designated time to advocate for cardiovascular health and raise awareness about heart disease. With so much riding on this essential muscle, it’s important to ensure you’re doing all you can to keep it in good shape. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to show your heart how much you care during American Heart Month and throughout the year. Anyone – at any age – can benefit from these simple tips:

Maintain a healthy diet.

Drinking plenty of water and eating a diet of lower-calorie, nutrient-rich foods can help you control your weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, which helps lower your risk of heart disease. A healthy diet is easily achievable by:

• Drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day and avoiding sugary beverages, like sodas, bottled teas, smoothies, adult beverages and fruit juices.
• Filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes.
• Limiting your intake of foods with saturated fat, trans fats, sodium, sugar and red meat. If you do choose to eat red meat, make sure you’re using the leanest cut you can find.

Understand the warning signs and symptoms of heart attacks.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, leaving little time to respond to signs or symptoms. Other heart attacks, however, start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Pay close attention to your body and don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you or someone you’re with experiences any of the following:

• Discomfort in the center of your chest that comes and goes or lasts more than a few minutes. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other upper body areas, including pain or discomfort in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Other possible signs, including breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Stay up to date on your numbers.

A key part of staying on top of your heart health is being aware of your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. Cholesterol is a substance that circulates in your blood and comes in two different types – low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (the “bad” kind) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (the “good” kind). Blood pressure is the force of blood within your arteries. Like cholesterol, there are two types – the systolic pressure (the higher of the two numbers) and diastolic pressure (the lower of the two numbers). Be sure to check your levels regularly and talk to your primary care provider about what you can do to keep them within a healthy range.

Know your family’s heart health history.

Risk factors for heart disease can also be genetic, so knowing your family’s heart health history can help you determine how healthy your heart is and measure your risk for heart issues now or down the road. By having a working knowledge of your family’s medical history, you can also help your provider identify where you may be at higher risk for certain conditions like heart disease and work to reduce your risks through lifestyle changes.

When you act early and make your heart health a top priority, you can get to know your heart better and help reduce your risk for heart disease. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to catch any other potential issues and work together with your provider to keep your heart healthy in the long run.

So how well do you know your heart? Click here to take our free heart health assessment. If you would like to speak to a provider about your heart health, UP Health System can help. Call 844.411.UPHS (8747) or visit the “Find a Provider” tab at UPHealthSystem.com to schedule an appointment today. In the event of a heart-related emergency, call 9-1-1. Minutes matter, and acting quickly may save a life, including your own.

Meet our Heart & Vascular team. 

Click here to meet our Heart & Vascular team, and learn about heart attack warning signs and our heart accreditations at UP Health System – Bell, UP Health System – Marquette, and UP Health System – Portage.