Heart Healthy Living
You’re in charge of your heart health. When you treat this vital muscle well, you feel better and can tackle life’s daily challenges with energy and strength. That’s why you’ll want to get help from Contact the MercyOne Genesis Heart Center to keep your cardiovascular system in the best shape possible.
Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
More than a third of adults experience cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Lower your risk of the condition and help prevent a heart attack or stroke by:
- Exercising – Set a goal of participating in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. If you’re living with a heart condition, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation will help you get fit safely.
- Eating healthy – Make your meals center on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean meats, such as fish. Minimize salt and sugar in your diet. MercyOne Genesis makes it easier for you to choose nutritious foods.
- Maintaining a healthy weight – Extra weight increases your risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which can damage your heart. Learn how to lose extra pounds and get guidance from the MercyOne Genesis Weight Management Center.
- Quitting smoking – Stopping smoking improves your health almost immediately and drops your risk of heart disease to that of non-smokers in just a few years. Find assistance with Contact the MercyOne Genesis’ personalized tobacco cessation program.
- Getting screened – Blood pressure checks, lipid profiles and other cardiovascular screenings at Contact the MercyOne Genesis Heart Center to help identify health concerns before they become more serious.
Women & Heart Disease
Men and women face some of the same cardiovascular disease risk factors, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity. But factors such as diabetes, smoking, stress and depression affect women more strongly. Women’s risk of vascular disease also rises as estrogen levels drop after menopause.
