February is Heart health month. The American Heart Association of West Michigan is once again encouraging people to make a difference in their lives by learning about and embracing healthy habits.
Today, Heart disease continues to be the number one killer of both men and women. But those with the American Heart Association of West Michigan says things are changing for the better.
“We still know that one in three women will die of cardiovascular disease, but what’s been encouraging, in both male and female over the last couple of years is that the mortality rate is coming down.”
That’s Communications Director Cindy Bouma. She says February is Heart Health Month and they’re spreading the news that positive changes are on the horizon.
“We know now through research that 80 percent can be prevented, but we’re learning it’s more preventable than what we thought before. And some of the things that will help reduce the rate are physical activity. We recommend 30 minutes a day, 60 minutes if you plan to lose weight.”
Bouma says if you smoke, you should quit. She also advises that you should know your “health numbers.”
“Know you’re a-1-C, your blood glucose number. Know your blood pressure number. Blood pressure is something that is a huge risk for heart disease as well as stroke.”
Bouma also advises checking out their website during Heart Health month at “my life check- at heart.org” She recommends downloading some of their resources.
“One thing that people can do, is my life check, and they can go on and take an online test and it will tell you if you have low risk, medium risk or high risk of cardiovascular disease. It will give you some real life, personalized examples of how to reduce your risk factors.”
The American Heart Association is holding a number of events this month to get heart health information into your hands. The next event is their Go Red For Women Luncheon February 24th. Bouma says tickets are still available. You can go to their website, at Heart.org for more information.
