February Is American Heart Month: How Healthy Are San Diego Hearts?

Nearly everyone in America has been impacted by heart disease in some way. You either have been diagnosed with heart disease, are at risk for heart disease, or know someone who has heart disease. The heart is the traditional Valentine’s Day symbol, so it is appropriate that we celebrate heart health and wellness in February.

Heart disease is also known as coronary heart disease and occurs when atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque (fat) in our arteries, makes it difficult for our cardiovascular system to function normally. Sometimes it causes a blood clot, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke, and subsequent death. While you can slow the progression and maybe even reverse atherosclerosis slightly, you will likely never fully recover from a diagnosis of heart disease.

San Diego and National Heart Disease Statistics and Tips to Prevent Disease

Heart disease is the number-one cause of death for both men and women, though men are more likely than women to have the disease. Genetics plays a role in developing the disease and those of black and Hispanic ethnicities are at higher risk. It costs our government over $300 billion yearly in health care, loss of work capacity, and prescription medications. Awareness of the disease is the first step, and there are ways that we can actively work to reduce those numbers every day.

So how does heart health stack up locally?  In San Diego, east county by far has the highest rate of coronary heart disease. The majority of our residents who have the disease are over the age of 65, and our males are almost twice as likely to have the disease as females.

Nutrition and exercise are the basis for improving and reversing just about every chronic condition that plagues humanity. Control or prevent heart disease by doing the following.

•  Watching your diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

•  Improving your physical activity. We all need at least 30 minutes of moderate activity daily to remain healthy.

•  Decreasing your high blood pressure. Many people can completely balance blood pressure with diet and exercise. Work toward the goal of reducing or eliminating the need for medication by cutting down your salt intake, exercising regularly, and watching what you eat and drink.

•  Decreasing your cholesterol. This key health indicator can also be reduced naturally. Your goal is to get your HDL numbers higher than your LDL numbers. The HDL cholesterol comes from good fats found in fatty fish, olive oil, and nuts and seeds. Exercising and reducing your intake of red meat, fried foods, and cheeses can also help bring your cholesterol back into balance.

With wearable technology, developing healthy habits has never been easier. Track your progress, find a new hobby, and look up some interesting new recipes to try. You can change your lifestyle slowly and significantly improve the risk factors known to cause heart disease. Take it one day at a time, and don’t forget to treat yourself with a little bit of dark chocolate and red wine on Valentine’s Day. Balance is key, and we all need a little celebration in life.