Your HEART IS IN Your HANDS

Why wait for a sign that something isn't right with this MOST IMPORTANT ORGAN before getting smart about your heart? Here, five things you can do to be proactive about your cardiovascular health and LIVE A LONG, HEALTHY, AND ENERGETIC LIFE.

-  BETH HOWARD

If you've heard that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, you're ahead of the game—fewer women today know that than did a decade ago, data shows. Unfortunately, that knowledge gap prevents many women from taking the steps they need to live their best lives, says Sharonne N. Hayes, M.D., a cardiologist and the founder of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. “They may live with chronic chest pain or heart failure, or need lots of procedures and medications because of heart damage,” she says. And of course there's the risk of death from a heart attack or a stroke.

But here's the empowering part: There's a lot you can do to keep your heart strong for the rest of your life. First, if you smoke, do everything you can to quit—it's the most powerful way to prevent heart disease, says Dr. Hayes. Second, shift your eating to include more fruits, veggies, and lean protein and far less saturated fat and processed foods (check out the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet). Third, talk to your doctor about whether your weight puts you at risk, as carrying too much extra weight may increase your risk of heart problems. Beyond those basics, here are ways to get on top of your heart health today.

Know your numbers

Four measurements are especially critical to cardiovascular health. Understanding why they are important is just as significant as knowing the healthy range for each one. That's because you can improve each factor by making lifestyle changes and possibly taking meds.

CHOLESTEROL:

When you have too much of the "bad" type of cholesterol (LDL), fatty deposits can collect in your blood vessels, eventually making it tough for blood to flow; the deposits can also break off and cause a stroke or a heart attack.