Sheldon, Iowa — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health.
Their Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (that’s high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Here in Sheldon, we had a chance to talk to Certified Nurse Practitioner Nic Vust about heart health. He spends a lot of time in the Emergency Department at Sanford Sheldon, so we asked him what is the most common heart-related ailment they see on a daily basis.
He says prevention is the name of the game when it comes to heart disease and heart attacks.
Vust says he himself is a good example that you don’t have to be fat and over 50 to have a heart attack.
Vust says too, if you smoke, quit. If you can’t quit right away, smoke less until you can stop. The American Heart Association says smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. For your overall health and to reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke, they say to avoid all forms of tobacco as well as secondhand smoke.
If you’re concerned about your heart, you can schedule a heart health screening with your medical provider.
