Heart Health Month

What are you doing to keep your heart healthy?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions.

Controlling and preventing risk factors is also important for people who already have heart disease. Take steps today to lower your risk of heart disease. To help prevent heart disease, you can:

• Eat healthy.
• Get active.
• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.
• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Manage stress.

Am I at risk for heart disease?

Everyone is at risk for heart disease. But you are at higher risk for heart disease if you:

• Have high cholesterol or high blood pressure
• Smoke
• Are overweight
• Don’t get enough physical activity

• Don’t eat a healthy diet

Your age and family history also affect your risk for heart disease. Your risk is higher if:

• You are a woman over age 55
• You are a man over age 45
• Your father or brother had heart disease before age 55
• Your mother or sister had heart disease before age 65

*For more information on how to keep your heart healthy or to check your heart health make an appointment with your Riggs Health Boone County healthcare provider. Call 765-483-4469 to make an appointment!