Love Your Heart

Did you know that one out of every four deaths in the United States is related to heart disease, which makes it the leading cause of death for both men and women in America?

The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can cause heart attack.

There are several things that you can do to reduce your risk for developing heart disease.

• Don’t smoke
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy diet by consuming a diet that is low in fat, cholesterol and sodium
• If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation
• Prevent or properly treat other health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Also, be compliant with medications that help control these diseases
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese
• Manage stress with deep breathing, meditation, yoga or whatever keeps your stress level down

It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and get help quickly. Heart attacks have several major warning signs and symptoms:

• Chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away after a few minutes
• Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw or upper stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness, nausea, lightheadedness or cold sweats

If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Every minute is critical to saving a life.