February is officially national heart month, the time of year when we focus on the most important muscle in your body, your heart!
Do you know that heart disease is still one of the leading causes of death in North America? According to the Government of Canada’s public health website, about 2.4 million Canadian aged 20 years and older live with ischemic heart disease and heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada. So with that in mind, heart month is a great time to reflect and make changes on your own lifestyle habits and make your own heart health a priority.
Risk factors
There are many factors that increase the risk of heart disease. Some of these factors can be controlled, others cannot.
Risk factors that can be controlled include:
-Smoking increases blood pressure and contributes to the development of blocked arteries, putting you at higher risk of heart disease.
-Lack of exercise: People who do not exercise regularly are at greater risk of having heart disease.
-Unhealthy diet: Risks are greater for people who do not eat enough fruit and vegetables. Eating foods that contain trans fat and high amounts of saturated fats and sodium can also increase the risk of heart disease.
-Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing a wide range of serious diseases and conditions, including heart disease.
-High blood pressure: Over time, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, or a thick heart muscle (hypertrophy), which can eventually lead to heart failure, a form of heart disease.
-High cholesterol: Too much bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) can lead to blockage of the arteries, which raises the risk of heart disease.
-Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease, especially if blood sugar levels are poorly controlled.
-Stress: High levels of stress or prolonged stress may result in high cholesterol, increased blood pressure, or disturbances in heart rhythm. These conditions increase the risk of developing heart disease.
Did you know?
-Nine in 10 Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Four in 10 have three or more risk factors.
-Risk factors that cannot be controlled include:
-Family history: Your risk of heart disease is higher if any immediate family members (parents, brothers, sisters, etc.) have had a heart attack, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
-Age: Your risk of developing heart disease increases with age. This applies especially to men over the age of 45 and women who have gone through menopause or are over the age of 55.
Did you know?
Aboriginals and other ethnic groups such as South Asians are at an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke.
Reduce your risk
You can reduce your risk of developing heart disease and other chronic diseases like cancer by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
-Talk to a healthcare professional about your risk factors for heart disease. Early detection and treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes can greatly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
-Be a non-smoker. Free help is available online and by telephone to help you quit smoking.
-Exercise. Start by aiming for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
-Develop healthy eating habits by following Canada’s Food Guide. Eat the recommended daily number of vegetables and fruit servings, avoid trans fat, and limit saturated fats and sodium by choosing fresh, unprocessed foods.
-Achieve and maintain a healthy weight by adjusting the amount of food you eat and by building physical activity into your daily life.
-Learn how to cope with stress in a healthy way.
-Teach your children about heart-healthy habits, and lead by example.
Locally, niagara’s own Heart Niagara has been dedicated to heart health in the community for over 40 years. They have many initiatives to improve heart health and awareness in the community. One of them is HeartCORE, a unique time-efficient exercise circuit, located at their office in Niagara Falls.
HeartCORE is a one-on-one training program to help those who want to improve their health and fitness. HeartCORE is furnished with the best and safest resistance training equipment. The experienced coaches on site have worked with many people who have a variety of conditions that include heart disease, diabetes, sport injury, arthritis and more. The main goals of the program are to improve and maintain muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance, provide a safe, non-intimidating environment to exercise and improve the health and well being of everyone.
Heart Niagara has also recently released a new cookbook that can be purchased for $20 with proceeds going to the organization. Following the success of their 20th and 30th anniversary publications, the current edition is titled, The Heart of Your Community cookbook. It focuses on Niagara’s bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables and provide guidance on how to eat seasonally using local food options. Additionally, the cookbook promotes heart healthy eating options to manage premature risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
For all you sport lovers out there, it’s also Heart Niagara Night at the Icedogs game tomorrow (Thursday Feb 2, 2017) . You can support them by purchasing one of their cookbooks and participating in the puck toss and coming to the game.
Bottom Line: Heart Month is a great time to take stock of your heart health! For more information about Heart Niagara and their programs: heartniagara.com
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