American Heart Month

(Chatsworth, Ga.) February is American Heart Month, which is an ideal time to remind us all the importance of heart health. We all likely know someone who is affected by heart disease or stroke because about 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day. Heart disease is also the leading global cause of death with more than 17.9 million deaths each year. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

The biggest part of living a heart healthy life is simply making healthy choices. While some things like age and family history cant be changed, making even the smallest of changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your heart health, said Dr. Scott Westermeyer, cardiologist at Gordon Cardiology.

To lower your risk of heart disease, consider the following tips.

• Stop smoking.
• Stay active.
• Lower your bad cholesterol (LDL).
• Eat a nutritious diet.
• Reduce stress.
• Limit alcohol intake.
• Lower high blood pressure.
• Maintain a healthy weight.