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Heart Healthy Information

Ten Commandments for a Healthy Heart

  1. Know your risk factors for heart disease
  2. Talk to your doctor about reducing your risk of heart disease.
  3. Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
  4. Know your cholesterol numbers. (These include total cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides.)
  5. Have your blood sugar level checked for diabetes.
  6. Do not smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products.
  7. Eat for your heart health.
  8. Get regular physical activity. (At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most or all days of the week.)
  9. Aim for a healthy weight.
  10. Know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and the importance of seeking medical help immediately.

Major Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

  • Smoking
  • High Cholesterol/High LDL
  • Low HDL
  • Hypertension
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Diabetes
  • Family history of premature CAD
  • Age
  • Metabolic Syndrome (having two or more of the following):
    • Abdominal obesity – 40” or more waist size in men or 35” or more waist size in women
    • High blood pressure – 130/85 mmHg or higher
    • High blood triglycerides – 150 mg/dl or higher
    • Low HDL (good) cholesterol – less than 40 mg/dl in men and less than 50 mg/dl in women
    • High blood sugar – fasting glucose of 110 mg/dl or higher

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack:

  • Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes.
  • Pain, spreading to the shoulders, neck, or arms.
  • Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.

American Heart Association / National Center for Health Statistics:

 

  • Coronary heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fatty build ups of plaque. It’s likely to produce angina pectoris (chest pain), heart attack or both.
  • Coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death in America today.
  • More than one in three American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • CVD claims more lives each year as deaths combined from cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases and accidents.
  • CVD is the number one cause of death in women and claims nearly half a million female lives every year.
  • The No. 1 preventable cause of death in the United States is smoking and No. 2 is overweight and obesity together.
  • 66.3 percent of adults are overweight or obese.