Heart Health
February is Heart Health month, a time where we need to
share about how important cardiovascular health is and what people can do to reduce
their risk of cardiovascular disease.
A statement from Health Canada in 2017 stated that “heart
disease affects approximately 2.4 million Canadians and is the second leading
cause of death in Canada”. You can read the rest of the statement here.
Prevention is the key when it comes to heart disease.
Many of the risk factors are things you can control through healthy lifestyle
choices including:
·
Quitting smoking (if you smoke)
·
Eating a healthy and balanced diet
·
Making sure to get enough sleep
·
Participating in regular exercise
·
Monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol
levels
Unfortunately, there are some risk factors that you
cannot control including:
·
Sex
·
Age
·
Family and medical history
·
South Asian, African and Indigenous heritage
·
Personal circumstances such as access to healthy
food, safe drinking water and health care services
All of this is to say that we need to take care of our
heart and be aware of both risk factors and ways to reduce your risk of heart
disease. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, nearly 80% of
heart disease and stroke can be prevented through healthy behaviours. So take a
step today to better your heart health and reduce your risk of cardiovascular
disease.
Resources:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2017/02/heart_month.html
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