Health Feature Articles
Seven simple steps to heart health
Tammy Roberts, MS, RD, LD, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Barton County, & Melissa Bess, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, Camden County, University of Missouri Extension
The American Heart Association has developed a tool to help you assess your health called My Life Check. You can find it online at http://mylifecheck.heart.org/. The survey asks questions about seven areas of your health, then your results tell you the areas you are excelling at and where you need improvement. The American Heart Association has also developed the Life’s Simple 7 action plan to address heart health by improving risk factors for heart disease. Even a few small changes can make a difference in heart health.
- Get active: Current activity recommendations are 150
minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous
activity weekly. Aerobic activity benefits your heart and lowers
blood pressure, raises good HDL cholesterol, helps manage stress,
controls blood sugar, helps control weight and enhances self-esteem.
Walking is a great way to improve your heart health and it’s
free, easy and almost anyone can do it. Remember to also include
weekly strength training, flexibility and balance exercises.
- Control cholesterol: Total cholesterol should be below
200 mg/dL. Some cholesterol in the body is needed and is useful
for transmitting nerve impulses and involved with cells and
hormones. The cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat that
you eat increases your cholesterol, as well as the amount the
body makes naturally. Too much cholesterol is a risk factor
for heart disease and stroke.
- Eat better: A diet that includes a wide variety of fruits
and vegetables is a great start to a healthier body. The American
Heart Association also recommends that you eat fish twice a
week — oily fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega 3 fatty
acids, which may help reduce blood clotting in the arteries
and protect from hardening of the arteries. For heart health,
limit saturated and trans fats, and choose and prepare foods
with little or no salt.
- Manage blood pressure: Your blood pressure should be
below 120/80. When your blood pressure is in the healthy range,
your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump the blood through
the arteries, the arteries are elastic and free of injury or
being overstretched, and all your body tissues receive the nutrients
they need from a proper flow of blood. High blood pressure can
lead to other heart complications and stroke. It’s important
to have your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Lose weight: Being overweight or obese puts you at higher
risk for heart disease and stroke. Too much body fat, especially
at the waist, puts you at higher risk for other risk factors,
like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Body
mass index (BMI) is used to calculate your weight versus your
height. To figure your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by
703, divide by your height in inches, and then divide once again by
your height in inches. For example, a woman who weighs 155 pounds
and is 5 foot 8 inches would have a BMI of 23.6 (155 x 703 /
68 / 68 = 23.56). A BMI between 19 and 24.9 is optimal, 25 to
29.9 is overweight, and 30 and up is obese.
- Reduce blood sugar: People who have diabetes are at higher
risk for heart disease and stroke. By keeping blood sugar levels
in the healthy range and preventing diabetes, you can control
your risk for heart disease. Those who have diabetes can control
their blood sugar, and slow and reduce the risk of long-term
complications, like heart disease.
- Stop smoking: Smokers have a higher risk of many health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and heart attacks.
When you complete the My Life Check survey, you will receive recommendations for steps you need to take to be healthier. Simple steps can result in long strides to your health and well-being.
When a person does suffer from a heart attack, getting the patient to the hospital quickly is crucial for life-saving measures to be taken. For this, the American Heart Association says it is important to know the warning signs of a heart attack. Signs include:
- Chest discomfort that may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body which may include one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs which may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
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Last Updated 03/25/2011
