Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors – such as family history, sex or age – there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take. You can avoid heart problems in the future by adopting a healthy lifestyle today. Be heart smart with these 28 tips to get you started.

1. February 2014
Heart Month Calendar
www.umassmemorial.org/heartsmart

2. Know your risk.
Knowing what causes heart disease and how
you can prevent it can help you live a longer,
healthier life. Take this quiz to find out more
about reducing your risk for heart disease.

3. CPR can save a life.
Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading
causes of adult death in the US. Knowing CPR
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may help you
save someone’s life.
Take this quiz to see what you know about CPR.

4. S
Snack the sensible way.
Snacking isn’t “bad” if you do it in
moderation. Empower yourself to make healthy
choices. Need some ideas?
Check out this list of heart healthy snack ideas from
UMass Medical School’s Center for Applied
Nutrition.

5. Lose the Extra Pounds.
Just a few extra pounds can put unnecessary
stress on your heart and arteries. Your Body
Mass Index (BMI) is a good indicator of if you
need to lose weight.
Find out your BMI today with this calculator.

6. See the wizard for better health.
Assess your risk factors and what steps you can
take to improve your heart health.
Use our Heart Disease Risk Factors Multimedia
Wizard Tool.

7. Questions about your heart
health?
Don’t wait to tackle heart or vascular disease.
Call 1-800-UMass-MD
or request an appointment online and see a
UMass Memorial cardiologist within 48 hours.

8. Commit to quit.
If you are a smoker, quitting smoking improves
your health, no matter how long you’ve
smoked or how old you are.
Use this checklist to help you get started.

9. Monitor your cholesterol intake.
Cholesterol is essential to life. But too much
cholesterol in the blood is linked to heart
disease and stroke.
Watch this Cholesterol animation to learn how
cholesterol works in the body and what steps
you can take to keep yours in check.

10. Get a checkup.
Doctors don’t just treat conditions or diseases;
they also offer screenings & preventive care.
Knowing your risk can help you make lifestyle
changes in areas that need improvement.
Call your primary care provider today.

11. Stress less.
Stress can harm your heart and sometimes the
symptoms of stress mimic heart disease.
If you think you might be experiencing stress,
this assessment can help you identify its
effects on you.

12. Go to sleep.
If you average less than 8 hours of sleep a night,
you could be putting your heart at risk.
See how much you know about snoozing by
taking this quiz.

13. Get your heart pumping.
Aim for a total of 150 or more minutes of
moderate-intensity activity each week. For
best results, do at least 10 minutes each time.
Check out these 8 ways to exercise your way to a
healthier heart.

14. Hear from our heart health experts.
Our experts separate the fact from fiction when
it comes to heart conditions and heart health.
Visit our Heart Health channel on YouTube.

15. Be heart-smart when dining
out.
On any menu, some choices will be better for
you than others. Check out some of the heart
smart menu choices listed here.
Keep them in mind the next time you go out to
eat.

16. Monitor your blood pressure.
Do you know your blood pressure numbers?
Knowing if you have high blood pressure
can literally save your life.
Take our Blood Pressure Quiz and have your
blood pressure checked.

17. Eat right, feel better.
Start the new year off on the right foot with this
list of heart healthy recipes for the whole
family.
A balanced diet can make you feel great.

18. Everything in moderation.
Read about the latest information on the effects
of alcohol on your heart in this article, then
take this Alcohol Use Assessment to make sure
your alcohol consumption isn’t putting you at
risk for heart disease.

19. S Subscribe to Pressure Points.
Stay up on the latest heart healthy happenings,
news and tips from the UMass Memorial
Health Care Heart & Vascular Center of
Excellence.
Sign up for our enewsletter today.

20. Slow down.
Learning what brings on stress in your life is the
first step toward managing it. This assessment
will help you identify your life "stressors."
Take our Stress Trigger Assessment quiz.

21. Pin your way to better heart health.
Check out our Heart Health board on Pinterest
for heart healthy tips, recipes, exercise ideas,
infographics and more!

22. Get the facts on fat.
You need to consume some fat to maintain good
nutrition, but many Americans eat more fat
than they need.
Take this quiz about fats and see how much you
really know about the fats that lurk in your
food.

23. Determine your target heart rate.
Your target heart rate is the range at which
sustained physical activity—running, cycling,
swimming laps, or any other aerobic
exercise—is considered safe and effective.
It is a percentage of what your maximum heart
rate should be.

24. Aerobics: no headband required.
Exercise is a lot more than an energy booster
and a stress reliever. It also strengthens your
heart muscle, lowers your blood pressure and
cholesterol, and burns calories.
Get started today!

25. Attend a seminar.
UMass Memorial holds several free community
programs over the course of the year including
many on heart health.
Join our mailing list and stay connected.

26. Get your kids moving now.
You may think of heart disease as a problem for
adults, not your young children.
But diet and exercise habits started in childhood
can begin a lifetime of heart health . . . or a
lifetime of heart damage.

27. Women are special.
As a woman, do you know what your risk is for
developing heart disease?
You might be surprised. Take this quiz or
schedule an appointment with our Women’s
Heart Health Program to see what steps you
can take to prevent heart disease.

28. Prevent and treat Afib.
Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) is the most common
arrhythmia. It can lead to heart failure and
stroke.
Learn from our experts in our upcoming indepth Health Watch about how Afib is
treated.

29. Make those healthy changes last.
Think you need more than 28 days to make a
difference in your health?
Follow this Twelve Week Guide to a HeartHealthy Lifestyle and be on the road to better
health and a longer life.