February 3, 2017
As many of you know, February is American Heart Month. Unfortunately heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. The good news is that there are measures you can take to prevent heart disease.
Follow these guidelines to keep your heart healthy:
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Maintain a reasonable body weight.
- Stay at least moderately physically active, within any limits your cardiologist gives you.
- Check your cholesterol level regularly, especially if your family has a history of heart disease.
- Avoid smoking tobacco, using intravenous drugs, or taking street drugs. These behaviors are even riskier for you than for people without congenital heart disease.
- Get regular medical care from your primary care physician. Even though you have a cardiologist, you still need a primary care doctor who is in charge of all your medical care.
- Take care of your dental health. Regular dental care minimizes the chance of infections that could affect your heart. Your cardiologist will tell you if you need to take antibiotics, based on the type of heart disease that you have.
Jennifer Lynn,
Director of Nursing