Family History and Heart Health

Did you know your risk of heart disease is higher if it runs in your family? Do you know if anyone in your family has experienced any heart-related conditions? If you're not sure, we recommend talking to your parents or grandparents about this important issue. We know that this isn’t always an easy conversation, but it’s an important one to have to maintain a healthy heart.

Here are some other steps you can take to maintain your heart health:

• Make an appointment with a health care provider—talk to your provider about any risk factors around your heart health, including family history, age, diet, and smoking.
• Maintain a healthy diet—try to limit saturated fats, foods high in sodium, and added sugars. And, eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Get regular exercise—look for ways to get exercise that are both fun and healthy. You can try anything from power walking to yoga to dance classes.
• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption—both smoking and drinking increase your likelihood of heart disease, so it’s important to limit them as much as possible.
• Reduce stress and get adequate sleep—we know it can be hard to manage stress, especially when it comes to work. But it’s important to give yourself time to enjoy stress-reducing activities and maintain a healthy sleep schedule.