Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States as well as in Virginia. February is American Heart Month, a time to take steps to reduce your risk of heart disease. According to the National Institutes for Health, the major risk factors for heart disease include:

• High blood pressure or high blood cholesterol
• Prediabetes or diabetes
• Smoking
• Lack of regular physical activity
• Unhealthy eating behaviors
• A family history of early heart disease, for example if your father was diagnosed before age 55, or your mother was diagnosed before age 65
• A history of preeclampsia, when blood pressure rises suddenly during pregnancy
• Age (ages 55+ for women, and 45+ for men)

Each risk factor increases your chance of developing heart disease. The more risks you have, the higher your overall risk. By taking preventive measures to change some of these risk factors, you can lower your risk of developing heart disease that could lead to a heart attack.

Having a healthy lifestyle is the best way lower your chances for serious heart disease. Take steps today to improve your health- steps including quitting smoking, choosing heart-healthy foods, being physically active, getting enough good-quality sleep, aiming for a healthy weight, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and managing your blood sugar.

If you smoke or use tobacco, quit. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start — and do your best to avoid secondhand smoke. Quit Now Virginia (800-QUIT-NOW) provides free telephone- and web-based tobacco cessation coaching to all Virginians over age 13 who are interesting in kicking their nicotine habit, as well as for people looking to help a loved one to quit. A range of coaching services is available for all tobacco usage: cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vaping, and smokeless tobacco products like snuff, snus, and dip. Access to tobacco cessation medication known as “nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)” is also available, usually in the form of patches or gum.

With respect to healthy eating, when we eat highly processed foods that contain unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugar, or consume too much alcohol, or smoke, we risk narrowing the blood flow to the heart and increase the risk of heart attacks. To make heart-healthy changes, limit your use of alcohol and add more whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins. Even in winter months, Feeding Southwest Virginia has monthly mobile marketplace stops where anyone can
shop for fresh vegetables in our outlying areas, such as in Covington, New Castle and Buchanan.

Getting at least 150-300 minutes of physical activity each week, and visiting your healthcare provider to know your numbers, such as your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, can also help protect your heart. Getting enough sleep helps heal and repair your heart and blood vessels. Not getting enough sleep or good-quality sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic health problems.

If you are concerned about any of your risk factors, talk to your health care provider about getting them in healthy ranges. Celebrate yourself by reducing controllable risk factors for heart disease to lower your risk of developing heart disease.