February is the American Heart Association’s Heart Month, and it’s a great time to promote heart health and reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. One of the main focuses of Heart Month is to encourage people to be aware of their blood pressure and to keep it under control. Over 65 million people in the United States have high blood pressure, and they are three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
Since high blood pressure shows no signs or symptoms, it’s important to get regular checkups with a healthcare professional. Also, the CDC recommends these steps to keep your blood pressure under control:
- Try to eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid consuming sodium, prepared foods, saturated fat and trans fat, which can greatly increase your blood pressure.
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. As you progress, increase the time and intensity of your exercises.
- Limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine that you drink.
- Talk to your doctor about a treatment plan for your blood pressure. This plan may include medication or other treatments
Thank you for reading. Take care of those hearts.
