How To Keep Your Heart Healthy

February is American Heart Month, and there's never been a better time to learn what you can do to lower your risk of heart disease.

Banner Health, Brand Partner

Posted Thu, Feb 13, 2020 at 1:13 pm MT

Living a healthy lifestyle is the best thing you can do to prevent heart disease. If something does go wrong, though, or you're at risk of developing heart disease, Banner Health can help. (Shutterstock / Evgeniy Kalinovskiy)

Your heart is the most important muscle in your entire body. It works day and night to pump blood to all of your organs, which need the oxygen and nutrients your blood carries.

Your heart is crucial to your survival, which is why it's so important to take good care of it. If something does go wrong, though, or you're at risk of developing heart disease, Banner Health can help. Its leading cardiologists provide convenient and comprehensive heart care so you can get back to living the life you love.

February is American Heart Month, and there's never been a better time to learn more about how to keep your heart healthy. Here are the best things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease or heart attack.

(If you experience chest pain or think you're having a heart attack, please call 911 immediately.)

Start with a healthy diet.

Eating a diet filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and unprocessed foods and snacks can lower your risk of heart disease. But as Banner Health registered dietitian Lindsey Manz explains, "It's not just about eating the right foods. It's also about eliminating the bad foods that raise our cholesterol."

Too much cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, clog them and potentially cause a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, lowering your intake of saturated fats — which are found in meat and dairy products — and eating fewer trans fats — which are found in many fried foods, baked goods, cookies and crackers — is the best way to reduce your cholesterol.

Eating a nutritious, heart-healthy diet also helps you to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces your risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Get regular physical activity.

Exercising lowers your risk of heart disease; and much like eating a healthy diet, it helps reduce your chances of being overweight or obese.

The AHA recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.

It's also good to move more and spend less time sitting throughout the day. Even light-intensity activity can help offset some of the risks of being sedentary.

Don't smoke.

Any amount of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke damages your heart and blood vessels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who smoke have a two-to-four-times greater risk of coronary heart disease than nonsmokers.

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is to avoid tobacco smoke entirely. Don't start smoking, and if you have, now's the time to quit. According to the CDC, just one year after quitting smoking, your risk for a heart attack drops sharply. Within two to five years of quitting smoking, your risk for stroke may decrease to about that of a nonsmoker.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.

Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, and added calories may cause weight gain — both of which can increase your risk for heart disease. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that if alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderation — up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men — and only by adults of legal drinking age.

The AHA recommends that if you don't drink already, don't start. If you do drink, talk with your health care provider about the risks and potential benefits of consuming alcohol in moderation.

Manage your stress levels.

Stress is a normal part of life, but dealing with too much of it can have negative effects on your health. According to the AHA, stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk. Some people will attempt to "manage" their stress by drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes or overeating — all habits that are detrimental to your heart health.

Finding healthy ways to manage stress is key to reducing many of its negative health consequences. Everyone is different, but for most people, the CDC recommends:

Eating a healthy diet.
Exercising regularly.
Getting plenty of sleep.
Connecting with others.
Avoiding drugs and alcohol.
Recognizing when you need more help.

If you're struggling to manage stress in your life, talk to your health care provider. He or she may have recommendations for healthy ways to deal with stress, including counseling.

Banner Health offers a variety of behavioral health treatment options, and its experienced, caring staff always provides compassionate and confidential care.

Manage your risk factors.

There are some risk factors — such as genetics, sex and age —that are out of your control. But if you have a medical condition that increases your risk of heart attack and heart disease, you should work with your health care provider to control what risk factors you can.

1. Obesity — People who are obese are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke, even without other risk factors. If you're considered obese, losing 3 to 10 percent of your body weight may lead to significant reductions in some risk factors, including lowered blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar.

2. Diabetes — Diabetes significantly increases your risk of developing heart disease, even when glucose levels are under control. If you have diabetes, work with your health care provider to manage the disease. Eating a heart-healthy diet can also help to manage and even reverse some types of diabetes.

3. High blood pressure — High blood pressure can damage the arteries that feed your heart. Making some healthy lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising and quitting smoking can help; but in some cases, your doctor may recommend medication to control your high blood pressure.

4. High cholesterol — For some people, eating a healthy diet can prevent unhealthy cholesterol levels. For others, a treatment plan involving medications may be recommended. If you have high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about what you can do to manage it and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Be proactive with your heart health.

Be sure to get regular health screenings to monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and other factors that can have an impact on your heart health. If you have any questions about your heart health and what you can do to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle, schedule a visit with your primary care provider or one of Banner Health's heart specialists.

Learn More About Banner Health's Comprehensive Heart Services

Sources:
Banner Health: Is Heart Disease Preventable?
Banner Health: 5 Fantastic Tips For A Healthy Heart
Banner Health: Reducing Cholesterol With Healthy Eating
American Heart Association: The Skinny On Fats
U.S. Department of Health & Services: Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans
CDC: Health Effects Of Cigarette Smoking
AHA: Is Drinking Alcohol Part Of A Healthy Lifestyle?
Banner Health: All The Ways Stress Can Impact Your Life
AHA: Stress And Heart Health
CDC: Coping With Stress
Banner Health: Heart Attack Risk Factors
Banner Health: You Just Received A High Blood Pressure Reading; Now What?

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