As we turn the calendar to February, our attention often goes to that upcoming celebration of love and affection, Valentine’s Day, but for more than 50 years we have been asked during this month to also think about our heart health.

February is American Heart Month - a month designated to promote heart health and raise awareness about heart disease. What should you know? Heart disease is the leading cause of death and it is largely preventable. So, I invite you to follow along with me to learn more about it and what we can do to prevent it!

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, is a term used to define several types of diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels including: coronary artery disease (a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the arteries of the heart); stroke; hypertensive heart disease (thickening of the heart muscle caused by high blood pressure); irregularity in heart rate - called arrhythmia; and heart attack.

One person dies every 36 seconds from a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease event. Prior to the pandemic, heart disease accounted for about 1 in every 4, or one quarter of all deaths in the United States.

There are a number of ways to prevent heart disease including diet, physical activity, not smoking, stress reduction, and control of blood pressure and cholesterol.

Diet. A heart healthy diet includes

Fresh fruits and vegetables, which are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber.

Whole grains such as whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, and grains such as brown rice and barley, all good sources of fiber and nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure.

Healthy proteins, like lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and eggs.

Limiting the amount of saturated and trans fats to reduce blood cholesterol.

Using less salt (sodium) to control blood pressure.

Physical activity. Physical activity can reduce many of the risk factors to heart disease, including high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, pre-diabetes and obesity. Focus on exercises that raise the heart rate and keep it elevated for at least 20 minutes and try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week.

Smoking. Avoiding smoking, vaping and exposure to second hand smoke reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Smoke triggers a buildup of plaque in the arteries, increasing the risk of blood clots forming in the arteries. Heart disease risks associated with smoking begin to decrease after quitting smoking, and continue to decrease over time. It’s not too late to quit smoking!

Stress. Long-term stress results in high levels of the stress hormone cortisol which can increase cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, all risk factors for heart disease.

Blood pressure. High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because, most of the time, it has no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong. Blood pressure numbers of less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered within the normal range. High blood pressure and high cholesterol cannot be cured, but they can be managed effectively through lifestyle changes and, when necessary, with medication.

With one in every four deaths in the United States resulting from heart disease, American Heart month is a good time to start doing everything you can to make your heart a “healthy heart.”

To get started on your own heart-healthy lifestyle, try out the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI’s) 28 Days Toward a Healthy Heart . Challenge yourself to try one of their tips each day for a month. One day you might make a heart-healthy snack, and the next you might share a funny video or joke that makes you laugh. On another day, you might dance for 15 minutes to your favorite music, or you could ask a family member or neighbor to join you for a walk.

The NHLBI encourages us to try all 28 tips, then keep up the momentum and make our favorites part of our regular routine. Which ones will become part of your heart-healthy routine?