This Valentine’s Day, Niagara Health Cardiologist Dr. Adnan Hameed wants you to show your heart some love.
Despite a greater understanding of the factors that can affect heart health, “there is still a lot of work to be done,” Dr. Hameed says. “Many risk factors can be prevented through healthy behaviors.”
Everyday decisions are important to combatting risk factors, which can help prevent or slow the progression of heart disease while also preventing other conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Dr. Hameed shares some tips to help keep your heart healthy.
- Get active: Spend time with your loved one this Valentine’s Day by planning an activity that involves physical fitness. Regular physical activity can lower your risk of heart disease and reduce the chance of developing other conditions that may put a strain on the heart.
- Eat a healthy diet: Incorporate healthy cooking choices into your Valentine’s Day menu. Heart-healthy food plans include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean diet.
- Quit smoking: Becoming tobacco-free has huge benefits for you and the people around you. Tobacco use increases your risk of developing heart disease and is a leading risk for diabetes and premature death in Canada.
- Laugh more often: While heart health is no laughing matter, it is true that laughing can lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation in your arteries and raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HLD), also known as “good cholesterol.”
- Prioritize your health: The Canadian Cardiovascular Society recommend a cholesterol test for eligible men over 40 years of age and women over 50 years. Routine screening can help physician’s asses risk for heart attack and/or stroke and provide early treatment.
At Niagara Health, we are fortunate to have a robust and evolving cardiology program for Niagara residents. Services include our Cardiac Health and Rehabilitation Program, Heart Function Clinic, Heart Investigation Unit and Coronary Care Unit.
Learn more about our cardiac care program.
February is Heart Month, an annual campaign that focuses on the importance of cardiovascular health, and ways to reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease.
