Protect your heart from heart disease during American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, a national campaign to raise awareness about the issue -what can you do for your heart?

The heart has always played an important symbolic role in literature, and has been used for centuries to signify true love. A heart with an arrow through it signifies someone who is lovestruck, while the image of a broken heart means love has been lost. How often have we heard someone say to us, “Follow your heart.”

Just as we put a lot of emotional resonance into the symbol of the heart, it’s just as important for all of us to recognize that a healthy heart is something we often take for granted – even though there are simple and effective ways to eat a heart-healthy diet or to keep our blood pressure healthy as well.

February marks American Heart Month, a time to educate yourself about how to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart problems. The statistics alone are sobering: Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death, particularly for women, and some people may experience no symptoms.

At Personalabs, we’re committed to helping educate people about heart health, and the steps that can be taken to significantly reduce the risk of developing heart problems. A good first step would be to take our  Coronary Risk Profile, which measures the three kinds of lipids found in the blood: LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. This heart blood test also measures total cholesterol, the sum of all types of cholesterol in your blood.  Elevated levels in your blood increases your risk of heart disease. However, high cholesterol does not cause symptoms, so you may not know that your cholesterol level is high.

This test is highly recommended for people concerned about, or at risk for, heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Learn more today at Personalabs.Across the nation, more than 67 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure — the leading cause of heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control has noted that people with high blood pressure are four times more likely to die from a stroke, and three times more likely to die from heart disease.

To help raise awareness of this health concern, in December 1963 President Lyndon B. Johnson declared February to be American Heart Month as a way to help promote a heart healthy lifestyle.

Since then, CDC has partnered with the Million Hearts national initiative to spread the word. Their goal in 2017 is to prevent 1 million heart attacks from occurring. Throughout the month there will also be special events, including Go Red for Women luncheons in cities across the U.S. to raise awareness of the risks that heart disease pose to women; and American Heart Association Heart Walks held nationwide to raise funds to save lives from heart disease and stroke.

These events will help raise awareness that small steps can go a long way toward reducing your risk of developing heart problems. Those include:

• Quitting smoking.
• Reducing your sodium intake, since salt can raise your blood pressure.
• Adding runs and walks to your daily activities.
• Using social media to help promote heart-healthy activities in your area to friends and followers.

You can also take advantage of the Personalabs discounts on our Coronary Risk Profile to learn what you need to do to keep your heart healthy – or to give yourself a great sense of peace of mind.