What You Need to Know About Heart Disease

Because What You Don’t Know Could Cost You Your Life

Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to learn about their own heart, how heart disease happens and what they can do to prevent it – until they’re faced with their own heart condition. At the very least, everyone should know how to tell there’s a problem and what to do – before it’s too late.

Below is some of the most valuable, life-saving information you can know about heart disease:

1. Don’t Deny the Symptoms

   The most important thing you need to know about heart disease is that your denial is the biggest problem. Many people know they’re having symptoms of a heart attack and don’t do anything.

   Ignoring your symptoms instead of getting help could cost you your life. Please take the time to read and completely memorize the Heart Attack Symptoms. If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.

2. You Don’t "Fix" Heart Disease

   Heart disease is like cancer in that you don’t just fix your heart, you can only help it from getting worse. Once diagnosed with heart disease, diet and exercise play a major role in decreasing your chances of further damage to your heart.

3. Heart and Vascular Disease Usually Go Hand in Hand

   Unfortunately, if you have heart disease, then you most likely have vascular (blood vessel) disease too. And vice versa. If you have vascular disease, then you most likely have heart disease.

4. Try to Prevent Heart Disease Before It Sets In

   Ideally you should follow the guidelines for a healthy heart to avoid heart disease altogether. Generally:

   • Don’t smoke and if you do, stop immediately

   • If you’re overweight, diet and exercise to achieve a healthy weight

   • Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day and eat whole grains

   • Eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines and albacore tuna; or take omega-3 supplements. Fatty fish are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that benefit people with healthy hearts and those at high risk of heart disease

   • Avoid eating food with trans-fats, saturated fat, salt and high sugar content

   • Eat foods that have monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive and canola oil, which are liquid and clear at room temperature

   • Exercise regularly