Announcement
August 27, 2024
February is the American Heart Month! The heart is a powerful muscle responsible for carrying oxygen and blood throughout the body. Heart disease, the leading cause of death for American adults, kills one in four Americans annually, with one dying every 36 seconds. Learn about your heart and how to keep it healthy.
Hard-working heart
Whether you are asleep or awake, active or resting, your heart never takes a break. The only downtime the heart gets is between beats, and since the average heart beats 60-100 times per minute, that’s not much time to relax. This is why it is so important to keep the heart healthy – the heart works nonstop on vital operations and can’t afford to be impaired by poor heart health. In one day, the average adult heart will beat about 100,000 times and pump approximately 2,000 gallons of blood.
Poor heart health
Heart disease is a catchall term for any disorder affecting the heart or blood vessels. Untreated, these conditions can lead to extreme illness or death. There are many risk factors for heart disease, including:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Extra weight
- Poor diet & lack of physical activity
- Smoking & excessive alcohol consumption
Many of these factors can be prevented by eliminating unhealthy lifestyle habits. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in arteries over the years, can weaken the heart muscle to the point that it becomes susceptible to total heart failure; however, it is largely preventable by practicing a healthy lifestyle. Arteries are only four millimeters in diameter, so it is important to keep them free of excess plaque.
Keep your heart healthy
There are simple steps you can take to keep your heart healthy. Heart-friendly nutrition is essential in preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in arteries which may lead to heart attacks. Excess weight is a risk factor for heart disease, so limiting salt & saturated fat intake and avoiding eating when not hungry is important for good heart health. Looking for healthy alternatives to satisfy your junk food cravings? Try these suggestions by the American Heart Association! Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the simplest ways to keep your heart healthy.
Regular exercise is another important step to keeping your cardiovascular system operating at peak performance. Exercise reduces the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypertension while also strengthening the heart. The stronger the heart muscle becomes, the fewer beats per minute it requires to pump blood, thus increasing the amount of rest time between beats.
Heart fun facts
- Babies have faster heart beats than adults
- A blue whale’s heart weighs over 1,500 pounds
- Petting your pet can decrease blood pressure
On Wednesday, February 2nd, The Bridge is hosting a blood drive in conjunction with UHC. Each blood donation saves up to four lives! Registration is available online or at the front desk. Must be 18+ with a valid photo ID.
