Take Care of Your Heart

Posted: Feb. 1, 2006

Follow these steps to lower your risk for heart disease:

• Know your family history of heart disease and be sure to let your doctor know about these facts.
• Exercise regularly.
• Treat high blood pressure. Treating it can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Stop smoking. That lowers your risk of heart attack by one-third within two years.
• Control your weight. This is important because excessive pounds can put a strain on your heart and arteries and put you at risk for other health problems, especially heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
• Eat a low fat diet. Avoid saturated fat that is found in foods such as meats and coconut oil.
• Know your lipid and cholesterol levels, including LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol), and triglyceride (blood fat) levels.
• If you are a diabetic, it’s vital to control this disease. Know your fasting glucose levels. Regular exercise, weight control, a low fat diet and regular visits to your doctor are necessary. If your doctor prescribes medication for diabetes, you must take it precisely as he or she says.
• Don’t ignore chest pains. Be sure to see your doctor if you notice pains in your chest, shoulder, neck or jaw.

We Have Answers
Do you have medical questions or need help finding a doctor? The experts at Columbia St.Mary’s can help. Click here.