National Heart Awareness Month

Rio Grande Valley, February is national heart awareness month and according to the CDC the United States spends three hundred and twelve billion dollars on cardiovascular related diseases. The good news is heart disease is completely preventable. Maintaining a healthy weight can help keep your heart strong. The surgeon general recommends you work out at a moderately vigorous level for 30 minutes during most days of the week. knowing your body mass index or b-m-i can help track your progress to a healthy weight. Doctors also recommend you monitor your blood pressure. symptoms of high blood pressure can go unnoticed, so visit your doctor regularly or local pharmacy to get checked. Drinking alcohol only increases blood pressure, so for men, limit your beverages to two drinks a day and for women, one drink per day. Making these small changes and others—such as taking the stairs instead of riding the elevator or skipping dessert-can drastically improve your heart health. Reporting on health matters, I’m Lyssa Hansen.