February is American Heart Month, and it’s important for Hispanics/Latinos to recognize the threat that heart disease can impose.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Hispanics/ Latinos in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Data shows that Hispanics/ Latinos struggle with health issues like being overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. All of those issues can contribute to heart disease. And people who have unhealthy hearts are at a greater risk of suffering severe illness from COVID-19.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways residents can improve their health and give themselves a lesser chance of developing heart disease.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute found that evidence that people who have closer relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live lon- ger. That’s because residents are more successful at meeting their health goals when working on them with others.
Other activities residents can do to protect their hearts include:
- Being physically active (2 1⁄2 hours of physical activity is recommended each week.)
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Eat a nutritious diet.
- Don’t smoke.
- Reduce stress.
- Get seven to nine hours of quality sleep.
- Track your heart health stats.
If you are wanting to exercise more, inviting family, friends, colleagues, or others from your community to join in your efforts to be more physically active is an effective technique. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests asking a colleague to walk with you on a regular basis, or asking a friend or family member to sign up for a workout class.
If you are struggling with maintain a healthy weight, health officials say having a friend or family member there to motivate you can make a difference. Even a weight loss of 5-10 percent helps your body. Eating healthier can also help with weight loss, along with lowering high blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) is a way to create a balanced eating plan to help create a healthier heart. The approach requires no special foods and provides daily and weekly nutritional goals. It requires residents to eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains; limit foods that are high in saturated fat like fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut oils; and to limit sugar- sweetened beverages and sweets. To learn more about the eating plan, visit https://nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and more than 650,000 people die from it each year. American Heart Month is meant to raise awareness of the risks of heart disease, to remember those we have lost, and to highlight steps we can take to keep our loved ones around longer and to address the unequal burden of heart disease in high-risk communities.
