Erie County Medical Society

January 31st, 2012

Know Your Risk Factors

A Valentine present for your heart! Why not? Your faithful little friend would love some attention from you this February. How about a nice review of the things that keep your little buddy safe and happy?

Your tireless little ticker beats 100,000 a day against the pressure of your arteries. Your doctor calls it afterload, or more simply, blood pressure. Reduce the load on your heart, control your blood pressure. Your cardiac companion will love you for it.

Your feisty friend supplies your body with 1800 gallons of blood a day. But, like other parts of the body, it needs blood itself. Blood supplies this miraculous little muscle through arteries that narrow gradually or obstruct suddenly when blood cholesterol levels are elevated. You can visit your doctor to learn your cholesterol level and reduce it if it is elevated. What a wonderful Valentine favor for your heart.

Diabetes is the dextrose demon that damages the blood vessels feeding your precious heart. Worst of all, your heart may feel the effects before you do. But the dextrose demon can be caged. You can visit your doctor to learn your blood sugar level, and if it is elevated, you can act to reduce it. You can defend your heart from the dextrose demon.

Your heart and many other organs are sensitive to the effects of smoking, which is responsible for nearly 1 in every 5 deaths in the US annually. One of the best gifts you can give your heart this Valentine Day is to go smoke-free. You can visit your doctor this month to find out how going smoke-free is easier than ever.

Get to know your heart better. Take it for a little walk. Just the right amount of exercise can benefit your heart enormously. Your doctor can approve the appropriate exercise for you and your little bosom buddy. So you can recreate and benefit your heart all at once!

Another weighty issue is BMI, Body Mass Index. Your heart needs a healthy BMI for it’s best longevity. You can keep your heart beating longer by learning your BMI and maintaining it within range. Visit the link below to learn your BMI and keep your heart happy.

Learn Your BMI

So Happy Valentine Day to you and your heart and be sure to visit us soon for more useful health information.

Thomas Falasca, DO

See this entertaining and informative video on heart attack!