By Dr. Bryan Parmer, family medicine, Optum 49th Street
February is recognized as American Heart Month, a health observance that encourages Americans to focus on their cardiovascular health and understand the importance of adopting healthier behaviors to reduce the risk of serious health outcomes, such as a heart attack or stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
By adopting healthier lifestyle habits, individuals can incorporate small but powerful changes into their day-to-day routines to help prevent heart disease. The CDC states that living a healthier lifestyle can help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels normal and may help lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack.
Living a longer, healthier life starts with taking care of your heart. Here are six lifestyle habits you can implement today that may help improve not only heart health but whole-body health.
1. Choose Healthy Foods and Drinks. By choosing healthy meals and snacks, you may help prevent heart disease and heart complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and less processed foods. Eating foods high in fiber and low in saturated and trans fats can help prevent high cholesterol. Since drinking alcohol can raise your blood pressure, if you choose to drink, the AHA recommends limiting the amount of alcohol consumed generally to no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men, though some should consume less. Heavier drinking, such as binge drinking or consuming three drinks or more a day, can lead to worse health outcomes and cardiovascular disease.
2. Keep a Healthy Weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is important. People who are overweight or suffer from obesity have a higher risk of heart disease. Extra weight can put extra stress on the blood vessels and the heart.
3. Get Regular Physical Activity. Any physical activity is better than none. It can be helpful to choose an activity that you enjoy, such as biking, yoga, walking, swimming or tennis. Physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. For adults, the Surgeon General recommends at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking or biking, every week for heart health. For adolescents and children, it is recommended that they get at least 1 hour of physical activity daily.
Disclaimer: Talk with your doctor before significantly increasing your activity level. This is especially important for those with underlying medical conditions. Ask about the amounts and types of activities that may be best for you.
4. Don’t Smoke. Cigarette smoking and tobacco use can increase your risk of heart disease. If you are a non-smoker, do not start. If you smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Talk to your doctor to learn about ways to help you quit.
5. Take Charge of Your Medical Conditions. If you have a medical condition such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, you can take steps to help lower your risk of heart disease. Monitor your cholesterol as recommended by your health care provider, check your blood pressure regularly, and manage your blood sugar levels if you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you take medication to treat any of these diseases, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Never stop taking medication without first talking to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
6. Get Good Sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t just important for your energy levels; it is also critical for your heart health. Adults who do not get at least 7 hours of sleep each night are more likely to have had health problems such as heart attack, asthma and depression, some of which can raise the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Some things you can do to get better sleep include sticking to a regular sleep schedule, not eating or drinking within a few hours of bedtime, keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and getting enough physical activity during the day.
Some habits are indeed hard to break, but remember that small steps can lead to big victories. Take one habit at a time, and with a series of small changes, you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier heart.
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