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Five Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy - February is National Heart Month
By Jignesh Patel, M.D., PhD.

Heart disease continues to be the number one cause of death in America today. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help prevent heart disease. Following are a few simple tips to keep your heart healthy.

Tip 1: Know Your Risk

Certain factors increase your risk for the development of heart disease. It's important to know your own risk factors by having an annual physical exam and discussing any concerns with your healthcare provider. Risk factor you should discuss with your physician includes family medical history, excess weight, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes smoking, aging, and menopause. As diabetes - a significant contributing factor to heart disease - has become epidemic in the United States, it is especially important that it be identified, treated and monitored under the guidance of a physician.

Keep in mind that many risk factors can be reduced with tremendous benefits beyond heart disease prevention.

Tip 2: Make a New Beginning with Exercise

Regular exercise can lengthen life and reduce the chances of cardiovascular and other diseases. In fact, it is more risky for most people to be sedentary than to exercise. There are four main types of physical activity:

wAerobic exercise

w Strength exercise

w Flexibility and Balance exercise

w Lifestyle exercise

All types of exercise have benefits. Besides benefiting heart and vascular health, exercise can improve mood, reduce stress, lower the risk of falls, increase bone strength, and ease arthritis pain. Even small changes in physical, like walking more to do errands, can benefit one's health.

Tip 3: Eat to Live

Eating a diet that is low in sodium and high in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein can help reduce high blood pressure. Eating a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber and can reduce high cholesterol. It is advisable to work with your health-care provider to develop a food plan that is right for you. However, a practical approach includes eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, avoiding processed foods, fried foods and fat food and limiting your salt intake.

Remember, getting to and maintaining an optimal weight with diet and exercise is important, as this leads to improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular health.

Tip 4: Put Out That Cigarette

Smoking is a physical and psychological addiction that can create serious health problems. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and death in the United States and is known to affect all parts of a person's body. Smoking is the primary cause of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease.

More the five methods have been proven to help smokers quit. Once you decide to stop, seek your physician's support and recommendations for quitting programs. Although withdrawal can be challenging, it can also be managed. Just remember, the benefits of quitting smoking begin as soon as 20 minutes after the last cigarette.

Tip 5: Don't Go it alone.

Work with your health-care provider to evaluate your risk of developing heart disease and to create a program of exercise and nutrition that is right for you. Find an exercise buddy to help you stick to your exercise routine and enlist the support of friends and family in making healthy food choices a way of life. There are also many community support groups that can provide valuable assistance.

For more information regarding heart disease prevention, visit www.californiaheartcenter.org

Dr. Patel is a cardiologist with the University Cardiovascular Medical Group, which has locations in Westwood and Westlake Village, CA. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine/Cardiology and the Associate Medical Director of the Heart Transplant Program at UCLA.