At New Years people everywhere make resolutions to eat better, lose weight and quit smoking. Unfortunately, the majority of them will only make it until February before they resume their old habits and revert to a more sedentary lifestyle. Whether their plan is too ambitious or life simply gets in the way, the excitement of a fresh start begins to fade and motivation wanes.
Such major lifestyle changes require steady determination to maintain. Unfortunately, it often takes a health scare or serious diagnosis for people with poor health habits to realize their risks and commit to change if they want to celebrate another birthday, participate in a child’s wedding or be active in the life of a grandchild.
February is Heart Health Awareness Month and we like to encourage being Heart Smart at any time – like right now.
Why is heart health so important?
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
- In the U.S., someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds.
- Each minute, someone in the U.S. dies from a heart disease-related event.
- 19% of people age 45 and older have circulatory disease.
- 30% of people age 65 and older have circulatory disease.
“Too often, we take our health for granted. We wake up every morning, tend to our personal affairs and go to work, not giving much thought to our ability to manage our daily living activities,” said Dr. Catherine Onuoha.
“The advice for becoming more ‘heart-healthy’ may sound familiar, yet heart disease remains America’s biggest killer, taking more lives than accidents and cancer combined,” said Dr. Catherine. “Compassionate Home Care Partners and our trained caregivers are dedicated to working with families each day to help prevent this deadly disease.”
Heart Facts
The heart is an essential part of our body’s circulatory system, pumping blood through the human body via blood vessels to supply the nutrients and oxygen necessary for our body to function.
Did You Know?
- The heart muscle beats about 100,000 times a day.
- A normal adult heart circulates over 1 gallon of oxygenated blood throughout the body every minute.
- On average, a person’s heart beats 60-100 times per minute, also known as one’s heart rate.
- A person’s heart beat increases and decreases according to activity level.
If a person’s heart rate is too fast or too slow, or blood is pumped with too much force (hypertension) or not enough force (hypotension), a person may experience heart-related problems. Likewise, anything that reduces blood flow (e.g., plaque buildup in the arteries) is a potential problem as a person’s body may not get the oxygenated blood it needs to function. More than 30% of adults exhibit risk factors, such as inactivity, obesity and high blood pressure, and more than 15% have high cholesterol and/or smoke cigarettes. High blood pressure is often referred to as the “silent killer” because one may not exhibit any symptoms until it’s too late. Schedule a physical exam with your doctor to access any unseen risk factors.
Preventative Measures
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research shows lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels can reduce the risk of developing a heart condition, having a heart attack, needing bypass surgery and dying from heart disease. While it may sound like a broken record, the most effective preventative measures to reduce your risk of circulatory diseases are:
- Regular physical activity
- Healthy diet
- Quitting smoking
- Cutting back on alcohol
- Reducing stress
- Adequate sleep
To determine how much physical activity you need, the CDC shares recommendations for adults and seniors on its website at: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/index.html. For menu planners and healthy eating guidelines visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/, a service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Don’t put off healthy lifestyle changes. Your New Year’s resolution really could save your life!
Pop Quiz Answers: Our six vital organs are the heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
Compassionate Home Care Partners of Polk County Florida offers a complete continuum of home healthcare services, similar to the care and support often provided by family members. Services include non-medical care, companionship, personal care* and medical services*. Our flexible care plans are tailored to fit our clients’ specific needs and budgets. To learn more about Compassionate Home Care Partners and get answers to your question call us at (863) 271-7776.
