We hope you join us in wearing red on Friday, Feb. 3, to help raise awareness about heart disease - the leading cause of death for men and women. More than 600,000 Americans die of heart disease each year. That's one in every four deaths. The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable. Here's what you can do to lower your risk:
- eat a nutritious diet
- maintain a healthy weight
- get enough physical activity
- do not smoke or use other forms of tobacco
- limit alcohol use
Director of Clinic Services Kim Ens also recommends getting your cholesterol and blood pressure checked by a health care provider because they are risk factors for heart disease and many people are unaware of their numbers. Your blood levels for cholesterol should be checked at least once every five years. Blood pressure should be checked on a regular basis, but at least once every two years at a minimum if you've never had high blood pressure or other risk factors for heart disease.