Every month is Heart Month here at Heart Health Doctors.  That said, February 2014 is the 50th anniversary of American Heart Month.  The Columbus Dispatch 2/23/14 supplement Your Health focuses on Heart Health with tips to use through the coming year & beyond.  In this post I  summarize a few of the articles and have added heart specific information.

Your Health covers the heart health benefits of activity, consideration of medication – from aspirin therapy to high blood pressure medicine, and diet.  There is a great photo of a treadmill desk; these are desks where users can actually walk while using a computer or reading.  As well as standing desks, the treadmill desks offer great alternatives to sitting.  Breaking up sedentary behavior – or encouraging people to just “move more”  will improve heart health. “Sitting is the new smoking” is now a common comment from physicians interested in prevention.

Understanding why you are taking any pill or food is important; we don’t always consider closely what we eat – be it food or medicine – and may lapse in consistency.  The importance of taking medication for high blood pressure is reviewed.

Here is a good video about high blood pressure:

Your Health also writes about, the ‘miracle’ heart drug aspirin.  Aspirin has risks and benefits – with evidence for benefit for healthy men older than 50 years to prevent heart attack and stroke (and colon cancer), but for healthy women that benefit doesn’t outweigh risk of bleeding until age 65 years old.  Any medicine choice is a time to talk to your health care provider; because many different factors are involved.

As outlined here at Heart Health Doctors, your diet is a key part of overall heart health.  But what if you are not at goal weight?  Using different ways to get to goal weight are reviewed with Jennifer Burton RD at the McConnell Heart Health Center who was interviewed for the Your Health Dispatch supplement.

Finally, as winter in central Ohio has shown us, weather and how to prepare for it, can challenge anyone’s best intentions to stay active.  Sports Medicine Physician and athlete Dr. Darrin Bright is interviewed for the article on Exercise Smart.  Cardiologists in particular appreciate the risk of cold weather activity.  The stress of cold temperatures combined with strenuous activity such as, specifically, snow shoveling can be dangerous and a set up for heart attack.

Any consideration of cold weather activity should include asking “have I been active?” and “am I ready for this?”  Don’t ignore symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, shoulder jaw or neck pain, dizziness/lightheadedness among others); proceed gradually.

Dr. Bright’s recommendations to dress according to the temperature help guide anyone wanting to be active during winter.  The recommendations in the article to dress in layers and be prepared for changes in footing apply; I like the message that weather should not stop us from being active year round.

We know the benefits of exercise, but the goal is to be safe – and ready.  Exercise Smart has great information for winter activity; but what Central Ohioans (this one at least!) are definitely ready for this year, is spring.