Prevention Through Education

"An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure." --Benjamin Franklin 

While there is undeniable truth in Franklin's quote, most Americans do not make healthy living a priority until they have a brush with death that reminds them how fragile life can be. Don't wait for a heart attack to strike you or someone you love, make the change today. Save your own life, before it's too late.

According the American Heart Association, "... heart attack prevention should begin by age 20... many first-ever heart attacks are fatal, so prevention is critical... your lifestyle is not only your best defense against heart disease, it's your responsibility."

Ok. So what can you do today? Right NOW?

Use the acronym ACES to help guide your pursuit of heart health:

1. ASSESS- Examine family history & current lifestyle habits to evaluate your risk for heart health problems in the future.
   
2. CHANGE- Incorporate small, daily changes to improve diet/exercise habits, decrease risk for heart disease, & improve overall health.
   
3. EVALUATE- Set personal wellness goals to determine if your lifestyle changes are effectively producing the desired result.
   
4. SAVE- Along with friends and family, develop an emergency action plan in case you or a loved one has a heart attack & needs help.

Assess: High blood pressure, diabetes, excess weight, family history, smoking, high cholesterol, older age, hormone replacement therapy, physical inactivity, gender (male), race (minorities) are all factors that increase chance of heart attack. More than one risk factor further elevates heart attack potential.

Change: Stop smoking/using tobacco, eat a heart-healthy diet, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, maintain a healthy weight, control blood pressure & cholesterol, control blood sugar, limit alcohol intake, and taking aspirin as advised are all effective steps to decrease risk of a heart attack.

Evaluate: See your doctor for regularly, monitor blood pressure/cholesterol/blood sugar levels, have a diabetes screening. According to the Mayo Clinic: Reducing your weight by just 10% can decrease blood pressure, lower your cholesterol & reduce risk of diabetes."

Save: Know how to recognize heart attack symptoms and how to respond when you or someone you know suffers a heart attack. Every minute without treatment, chances of survival decrease by 10%. By 4-6 minutes brain damage & death occur. After 10 minutes without treatment, resuscitation is rarely successful.

Watch the American Heart Association's video below about "Life's Simple 7."
Potentially life-saving steps to help you live a longer, stronger life. 

 

Click here for your free, online heart health assessment
by the American Heart Association.