February Heart Health
With February upon us, it is time to celebrate American Heart Health! If you think about it your heart is what keeps you running so it certainly deserves a celebration of its own.
The heart typically symbolizes love, so during the month February, you are supposed to show yourself some love and take care of the health of your heart. The smartest thing you could do is to stay educated and learn about your risks for heart disease and stroke.
Believe it or not, Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. The costs of all the health care services, medications and lost productivity heart problems cause totals over $300 billion every year!
It is important to know what may put you at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Some things that you have no control over include your family history, and your race and ethnicity. If you have a close relative who has or had heart disease than you are certainly at a higher risk for CVD. About 44% of African American men and almost 50% of African American women have some type of Cardiovascular disease. A major reason for this is because African Americans are more likely to have higher blood pressure than any other ethnic group.
Unlike the uncontrollable factors previously talked about, there are certainly some factors in your life that you can manage. These factors include your diet, physical activity, tobacco use, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes. By taking control of your health, exercising more, eating healthier and cutting back on bad habits you can play a major role in reducing your risk of heart disease.
Now that you know what you need to do to take care of your heart its time to celebrate your healthy heart!
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