Make Your Heart Healthier in February

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Escaping matters of the heart in February isn’t easy thanks to all those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate lining store shelves this time of year. However, in addition to contemplating how to treat your Valentine this year, make time to contemplate how you treat your own heart.

Although death rates from heart disease have fallen about 25 percent since 1999, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S. Sadly, many people don’t realize how highly preventable heart disease is. By knowing the risk factors for heart disease you can control, you can help your heart be healthier.

High Cholesterol
The best-selling drug in the world is Lipitor, a drug that lowers high cholesterol. Sales of Lipitor were almost $13 billion in 2007. Does that give you an idea of how common high cholesterol is?

Over 36 million adults in America have a cholesterol level at or above 240 mg/dl, the point at which it becomes a risk factor for heart disease. If you’re among those millions, you don’t have to let high cholesterol threaten your life. A diet low in saturated fat along with regular exercise and certain medicines can all help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your heart disease risk.

Smoking
People who smoke face a two- to four-times higher risk for heart disease than people who don’t smoke. For this and a myriad of other health reasons, stop smoking. It’s a tough habit to kick, but the rewards are immense.

High Blood Pressure
A blood pressure of 140/90 is considered high. Fortunately, high blood pressure, like high cholesterol, can be controlled with changes in diet and activity levels. Medication therapy is another option when lifestyle changes aren’t enough.

Obesity
A lot of people have talked a lot about the obesity problem in the U.S., so we all now know how carrying extra weight can be deadly. Various stomach surgeries are options for morbid obesity (being 100 pounds or more over one’s ideal body weight). Many of us, though, qualify as being overweight, or carrying 10 or more extra pounds. For overweight people, radical surgery is not an option. We must fall back on the old standards of eating less, eating more healthfully and moving more.

Inactivity
Heart disease is often called a lifestyle disease because it’s prevalent in populations in which technology has replaced a lot of manual labor. Having a desk job, though, does not excuse anyone from all physical activity. Studies show that modest increases in daily activity, such as moderately brisk walking for at least 20 minutes five days a week, can reap stunning health rewards.

Diabetes
Up to 65 percent of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, controlling your blood sugar through lifestyle modifications and medication therapy can help lower your risk for heart disease. Even with these preventative measures, unfortunately, the risk for heart disease remains higher for anyone with diabetes. Therefore, controlling your blood sugar is imperative if you have diabetes. If you don’t have diabetes but are at risk, follow your doctor’s advice so you don’t develop the condition–and the associated complications.

Alcohol Consumption
Over the years, research has shown the benefits of alcohol for the heart. However, the benefit comes from moderate alcohol consumption. Moderation translates to one drink for women and two drinks for men each day, with one drink equaling 4 fluid ounces of wine or 12 fluid ounces of beer. The American Heart Association does not advocate that everyone start drinking, but it does encourage heavy drinkers to cut back for a healthier heart.

Stress
“The stress is killing me!” is an all too common lament these days. If you’ve heard yourself say this, guess what? You’re right. Excess stress can damage the heart. What’s worse, it can also lead a person to develop coping mechanisms or habits that contribute to heart disease, such as eating too much or smoking. Since the sources of major stress are often things that can’t be removed from one’s life completely, find ways to alleviate it. Regular exercise, meditation, hobbies or other tasks that encourage relaxation are all stress relievers.

As you can see, you do control many of the risks for heart disease. If you want to prevent heart disease, you must take control of how you live your life–and how you treat your heart.