SAN ANTONIO – Since February is Heart Month, this is the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart.
Heart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults.
HealthTexas gave us some tips on how you can take control of your heart health.
1. What are the main risk factors for coronary artery disease?
Some of the main factors for coronary artery disease are from early family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol (lipids), being a male over 60 years of age, cigarette smoking, prior heart disease, obesity and living a sedentary lifestyle.
2. What are the traditional steps to lower the risk of heart disease?
- Diabetes control
- Blood pressure control
- Cholesterol control
- Stop smoking
- Weight loss
3. What are the natural ways of decreasing the risk of having coronary artery disease?
HealthTexas recommends exercising four to five times weekly, for 45-minute sessions. Exercise lowers markers of inflammation and normalizes body weight. Take Vitamin D3 to decreases the risk of heart disease by 40%.
To take control of your heart health, don’t smoke, manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, make heart-healthy eating changes and stay active.
Try to eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Teach yourself to learn to love vegetables and fruits.
If you need a new health care provider, HealthTexas is always accepting new patients.
There are 15 HealthTexas locations in San Antonio with board-certified physicians.
For more information, visit HealthTexas.org or call 210-731-4864.
