The way to a man's heart...

Morning!

The American Heart Association has gotten some smack lately about focusing their heart health improvement efforts on women. By request, here is some information about men and cardiovascular disease.

If I may, first, defend the AHA by saying that chances are, the way to a man’s heart is through his wife. Wives and girlfriends have this innate gift for making simple suggestions ( ahem…nagging…) that always seems to get men to do what they should. We do it because we love you, I promise!

According to Men’s Health and the Mayo Clinic, heart disease is the top biggest threat to a mans health, responsible for almost half of US male deaths. About a third of these deaths are sudden, and that means that chances are, these guys didn't even know they were in trouble.

The same rules go for men as for women, only our society has rules about how men should act. Men are meat eaters, whisky drinkers and are invincible. Here are some ways you can stay heart healthy while protecting your masculinity. 

Quit smoking- Take charge of your health by committing to stop smoking. This includes chewing too! Try making a pact with the smokers in your group of friends to all quit smoking together. You’ll get the moral support you need, no one will make fun of you, and you can collectively avoid the situations where you would previously smoke. A little friendly competition never hurt either. My office-mate’s husband is trying the group-quit method and so far it’s working!

Up your activity- Try joining a men’s basketball league or some other kind of group activity. You’ll enjoy the time you get to spend with your buddies and you‘ll be keeping active.

Manage stress- Men are just as stressed as women, only women tend to express it better (better? Maybe more). If you’re feeling the heat, find an activity that lets you get it all out. HealthWorks has got a punching bag if that’s your style, or try running it off outside (weather pending) or on a treadmill. 

Most importantly, don’t ignore the symptoms of a cardiac episode. Although I’ll get a little deeper into the signs and symptoms of various cardiac events, heart attack symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, feeling light-headed, or pain or discomfort in one of both arms, the jaw, neck, back or stomach. If you’re feeling any of these, see a physician ASAP- this could save your life!

That's all for now!

From my heart to yours,

Red in Richland County

P.S. Man did I mess up the formatting on the entry yesterday- that'll teach me to not proof my entries! Sorry about that guys!