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Orlando, FL 32819
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A Healthy Heart: One heartbeat at a time

Posted on January 29, 2025 at 5:36 pm in .

As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and February is also American Heart Awareness month, it’s a good reminder for us all to focus on our hearts! Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.  One in five deaths occur due to heart disease and keeping your heart healthy starts with living a healthy lifestyle and reducing those risk factors that you can control.

Let’s test your knowledge of heart disease:

  1. True or False? High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when your blood pressure is consistently 130/80 mm/Hg or higher.
  2. True or False? In the U.S., someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.
  3. True or False? Your BMI, or body mass index, indicates whether your weight is in a healthy range for your height and is one measure of your future risk of heart disease.
  4. True or False? Not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep can increase your risk of hypertension, heart disease and other medical conditions.
  5. True or False? Adults should aim for about 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week to strengthen their heart.
  6. True or False? Cholesterol is needed and helps in the production of hormones, Vitamin D, and aids digestion, but we need to eat the right amounts.
  7. True or False? In the U.S., one person dies from heart disease every 33 seconds.

All of these questions are true. Understanding our own risk factors allows us the opportunity to guide our lifestyle choices in lowering our risks for a cardiac event. Now obviously, we know some things can’t be changed such as our genetics or family history, but working on things like our weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars can put us on the right path to a healthier heart. So let’s review the risk factors for heart disease:

  • High blood pressure
  • High Cholesterol
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • Overweight or obesity
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Physical inactivity
  • Excessive alcohol use

Every step you take to lower your risks (one heartbeat at a time) will help you in the long run. As always, work with your own physician to make sure together you are working towards a healthier heart.

  1. Eat a healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet is low in saturated fat and sodium, and high in fiber and unsaturated fats. It includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, fish, and healthy fats.
  2. Maintain a healthy weight. A BMI of 25 or higher is considered overweight and is linked to higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Even reducing your weight by 10-20-lbs., can help lower certain fats (triglycerides), lower blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and even cut the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  3. Make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. If you are consistently feeling tired during the day after a good night sleep, talk to your doctor to see if you need to be evaluated for sleep apnea, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
  4. Work with your doctor to make sure your blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol levels are within acceptable ranges. Make that appointment a priority so you can get ahead of these things before they get out of control and precipitate a visit to the ER.
  5. Stop smoking if that applies to you.
  6. Stay active. Adults should aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic exercise per week. Taking a brisk walk or joining a gym or fitness class can be helpful. Check out our fitness class offerings on campus HERE.
  7. Take steps to prevent infections. Certain infections may lead to heart problems or make existing heart issues worse. For instance, gum disease may be a risk factor for certain heart and blood vessel diseases. So brush and floss daily and get regular dental checkups. Also certain viruses and infections can cause damage to your heart valves.
  8. Keep regular follow-up appointments with your doctors and cardiologist, if you do have a cardiac history, so you can stay ahead of any issues that may arise. If you have a strong family history of heart disease but haven’t taken that step to get a full evaluation yet, take that step now! One in five heart attacks are silent so you could be unaware that you’ve had an issue. Call for an appointment today.
  9. Lower your stress levels by practicing good self-care. Make time during your day to unclutter your mind. Try meditation or center yourself around a devotion or prayer time. Find a few minutes throughout your day to just breathe and refocus.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

As important it is to have a healthy heart physically, it’s even more important for us to develop a healthy heart spiritually.  A few characteristics of a healthy heart include gratitude, hope, forgiveness and love. If we discipline ourselves to be grateful every day for what God has done, hope when things look hopeless, forgive those that have caused harm, and most important, love others, we will have a healthy heart.

You are BEloved and deserve a healthy heart to live a long a prosperous life.

BE Ready to GO to that appointment and take care of yourself.

BE Bold in the care of your heart both physically and spiritually.

And may you BE Guided by our Lord in your health journey.

Lisa Crump, RN BSN FCN

Parish Nurse


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