American Heart Month: supporting heart health & preventing heart disease

February is the month that gets us thinking about hearts — the candy ones and the beating ones in our chest.

Designated as American Heart Month, it aims to remind people to either start or continue practicing heart-healthy habits. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing nearly 655,000 Americans each year — one in every four deaths.

By becoming aware of risk factors in our lives and the conditions and habits that put us at higher risk for heart disease, we can take preventative action. The Haxtun Health team is here to support you in preventing heart disease or to keep it from worsening.

Dr. Benjamin Stephenson, Primary Care Provider and Chief of Staff at Haxtun Health, said it’s important to prioritize your heart health sooner than you might think.

“A lot of our heart patients spent their lives not worrying about heart disease until it was forced on them,” he said. “Young people and middle-aged adults may not even know they have several risk factors until it’s too late.”

Why heart health is important

A healthy heart is key to good overall health. Heart-healthy lifestyles help us live longer, keep other organs in our bodies healthy and improve our overall quality of life, according to Wendy Evans, MPT, Physical Therapist at Haxtun Health.

“We’re living longer than we used to, and as we age, the two biggest risk factors become cancer and cardiac conditions such as strokes, heart attacks or other cardiovascular issues,” she said.

Start with getting in regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. Education also plays an essential role in your endeavors, so don’t skip on appointments with your healthcare provider. They can provide you with invaluable information about your heart numbers, perform annual screenings and track your annual changes in risk factors.

How Haxtun Health

supports patients

Dr. Stephenson said he encourages patients to schedule their annual wellness exams or physicals, noting how important they are in getting to know patients and their personal and family histories.

By identifying risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, smoking and other habits and traits that contribute to heart disease, providers can tailor their care to the patient and work with them on necessary lifestyle changes. If you already suffer from heart disease, providers can help decrease your risk of further damage and work with a cardiologist to ensure you are up-to-date on your cholesterol labs, vitals, echocardiograms, EKGs and medications.

When it comes to physical activity, Evans said aerobic exercise can work wonders for the heart. A brisk walk for 45 minutes can prove more beneficial than running all-out for 20 minutes.

“What we recommend is very easy aerobic exercise for an extended period of time,” she said. “When you do a sustained activity that keeps your heart rate up, you are training your heart muscle to get stronger. It improves circulation to your heart.”

Take control now and talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to improve your heart health for the long term. For more information or to schedule an appointment at Haxtun Health, call (970) 774-6187 or go to haxtunhealth.org.

“What works for one person might not be a reality for another,” Dr. Stephenson concluded. “We do what we can to develop a plan with the patient that makes the most sense for their lifestyle, tailored to meet them where they are at in life.”

Five heart-healthy tips

• Eat healthier/maintain a healthy weight: minimize processed foods, mostly the three Fs — fried, fast and fatty foods. Limit your salt intake. Limit sugars and saturated fats to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. Practice portion size control.

• Get in physical activity: focus on low-intensity, long-duration aerobic activities, such as walking or biking. Develop a good exercise routine you can do at home. Set an exercise schedule that lays out specific activities, their duration and the days you will do those activities.

• Quit smoking — or don’t start: smoking puts you at an increased risk for heart disease — one in every four people who dies from heart disease smoked. It lowers your good cholesterol, increases the buildup of plaque in your blood vessels and can cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels.

• Decrease your stress; stress produces cortisol, which is detrimental to the body when elevated for long periods of time. Protect your heart by managing stress and relaxing through activities like yoga, Pilates, breathing exercises or simply taking a long, brisk walk in the countryside. Try downloading a stress management app on your smartphone, such as Calm, Headspace or Breathe.

• Improve your sleep: one in three Americans don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep can lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity — all heart disease risk factors. Get the rest you need to be active.