Showing our hearts some love

Showing our hearts some love

February is American Heart Month, an ideal time to show our hearts some love. Heart disease is a leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. According to a recently published article in the Journal of Diabetes Research (PDF, 825 KB, 8 pages), the risk for heart disease in AI/AN populations is worsened by high rates of diabetes, obesity, and smoking.

Help reduce the risk for heart disease by sharing the following tips. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Drink more water and fewer sugary drinks, such as fruit juice, soda, and sweet tea. Grill or bake food, rather than frying it, and go easy on the salt (PDF, 304 KB, 2 pp). Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your routine on as many days as possible. (If needed, break those 30 minutes into 3 sessions of 10 minutes each.) Enroll in a stop smoking program, which is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and plans purchased on the Health Insurance Marketplace.