Good morning readers and viewers! February is all about hearts! Valentine’s Day, candy hearts, and heart health awareness all rolled into one! So, let’s raise our awareness of heart disease and talk about how we can lower our risk.
In the United States (this is from the CDC):
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most ethnic groups.
One person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease.
In 2022, 702,880 people died from heart disease.
That's the same as 1 in every 5 deaths.
These stats sound scary – and they are. One of the biggest risk factors for heart disease is high blood pressure. High blood pressure causes all kinds of problems: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, dementia, and loss of eyesight. The good news is that you can lower your risk of these devastating conditions by keeping your blood pressure under control with medications, healthy habits, or both. Many people I talk to ask me if they can avoid taking blood pressure meds through lifestyle changes alone. And the good news is, for many people, yes!
As we talk about lifestyle changes, keep in mind that sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may still need blood pressure lowering meds to get and keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. But making these changes can have a big impact:
Quit Smoking.
o This is not easy. Talk to your doctor about effective strategies to help you. If often takes many attempts until you completely kick the habit so don’t feel like a failure if you aren’t successful at first.
o For info on how to quit smoking go to this page on the American Heart Association Website: Help! I Want to Quit Smoking
Eat More Plant Foods.
o A plant-based eating style like the Mediterranean, DASH, or Flexitarian are all great choices.
o You don’t have to adopt any one specific eating style, just adding in more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, vegetable oils, and nuts and seeds are the keys to a blood pressure lowering plan.
o Check out the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Plant Based Diets.
Cut Back on Sodium
o We’ve talked a lot about sodium on the show. Not everyone is “salt sensitive” – meaning that some people’s blood pressure is more responsive to lowering sodium than others.
o Here’s a great handout on how to spot high sodium foods.
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Be Active.
o You don’t have to go to the gym and walk for hours a day. But increasing your physical activity by adding in more steps in small ways can make a big difference.
o Check out these sites: Walking Your Way to Better Health, Why Is Walking So Popular?, and Fitness for People with Disabilities
Lose a Few Pounds, If You Need To.
o If you are carrying extra weight, lose a few pounds. And I mean “a few” because it doesn’t take much weight loss – sometimes just 5 pounds – to drop your blood pressure.
o Even if you can’t or don't want to lose weight, start with nutrition and exercise – those two could be enough to lower your blood pressure.
o You know me – I’m not a fan of weight loss diets. But if you really want to lose weight, here are the best: Best Weight Loss Diets
We have focused on blood pressure today. But all of these habits are the same as what I would recommend for diabetes prevention, kidney health, cancer prevention, and heart disease.
Happy Heart Month!
Beth Kitchin PhD RDN