February is American Heart Month; Experts Provide Tips to Good Heart Health

February is American Heart Month, which focuses on the importance of cardiovascular health. According to a release from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in South Carolina in 2017 and it is a leading cause of early death and disability. 

Lisa McNally from Prisma Health-Upstate, who is the coordinator of HeartLife Oconee, was a guest on Coffee Time program, says that heart disease is the number one cause of death in our country. Lisa says that eight out of ten cases can be prevented by controlling our blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. 

Lisa says that American Heart Month was created to provide an opportunity to give us a campaign to focus on heart health. 

Besides the tips that Lisa gave us, SCDHEC also reminds us that maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol use, taking medications as directed, eating a healthy diet that is low in fat, cholesterol and salt and exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week can also help to give us a healthy heart.