February is Heart Health Awareness Month
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(WTVM) - February is Heart Health Awareness Month. Despite medical advances, heart disease continues to be one of the leading causes of death for Americans.
Dr. Paula Walker from Columbus State University tells us more.
The first Friday of February is "Wear Red Day", which is an imitative started by the American Heart Association designed to raise awareness about heart disease.
Some major forms of heart disease include high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects. For people who are born with heart defects, their problems can sometimes be corrected with surgery.
Risk factors that increase your risk of heart disease include a family history of heart disease, smoking, poor nutrition, low physical activity, obesity, and high blood pressure.
You can lower your risk of getting a form of heart disease by not smoking, maintaining a normal body weight, avoiding foods that contain saturated fats, exercising, and lowering your stress.
Watch the video for more details.
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