Give Your Heart Some Love During Heart Health Month

Give Your Heart Some Love During Heart Health Month Between work, social activities and taking care of a family, it may be easy to forget to take care of yourself. However, it’s important to make sure your heart’s health is top-notch, especially if you’re the heart of the household.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of those at risk may not even realize there is a problem. Since February is American Hearth Month, it serves as a reminder that there’s never a bad time to make sure your heart is in good condition and avoid being one of those people who is putting their health on the line.

Your Life, Your Heart, Your Choice: While various heart problems may be inherited, many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices. Having a poor diet, excessive alcohol use, smoking, stress and physical inactivity are all lifestyle choices that put people at a higher risk for heart disease. These factors lead to high blood pressure, which thickens arteries and narrows blood vessels. Obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes and other risk factors can also lead to high blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. If that information doesn’t get you to change your habits, consider this: about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year.

Know the Warning Signs: Chest discomfort and pain in your left arm aren’t the only warning signs that something is wrong with your heart. Nausea, feeling lightheaded, and pain in the throat or jaw could also be signs of trouble too. Also, if you’ve developed an annoying cough that produces white or pink mucus, check with your doctor. When the heart can’t keep up with the body’s demands, this causes blood to leak back into the lungs. Another sign something is up could be if your legs and feet are swollen. Blood can get backed up in the veins and cause bloating when the heart can’t pump fast enough.

Take a Test: If you’re worried about your heart health, take just a couple of minutes to visit your nearest Any Lab Test Now location and see if everything is OK. The Lipid Panel includes tests to measure if a patient has abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The C-Reactive Protein Test measures the amount of protein in your blood that indicates inflammation. The test will let you know if inflammation has damaged arteries, thus increasing the chances of a heart attack. The Lipoprotein Particle Profile Test is the most advanced test available to predict heart disease risk. Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL, is also known as the “bad cholesterol.” High numbers of small, dense LDL particles can cause plaque buildup, and ultimately cardiovascular disease. The Lipoprotein Particle Profile Test measures the particles directly.

American Heart Month is the perfect time to show your heart some love. After all, it does so much for you! Visit your local Any Lab Test Now in Carmel or Fishers to get started. If you have any questions regarding these tests (i.e. fasting) please give us a call at (317) 574-9500.