We Must Stop Utah's No. 1 Killer

We're always singing about our hearts.

"Heartbreaker," "Heart and Soul," "Closer to the Heart," "Heart of Gold," and "Achy, Breaky Heart," are just a few that come to mind, but there are dozens of others.

And yet, a lot of people forget that the No. 1 killer in the United States is heart disease -- not a broken heart.

Every year about 210 people for every 100,000 population die from heart disease.

To put that in perspective, in the state of Utah has more than 7,000 people die from heart disease every year. In Washington County, about 420 people die from the malady. About 20 percent of all deaths in Utah are from heart disease.

In California, the nation's most populous state, more than 82,000 people died by way of heart disease last year.

The point is that public officials are begging people to take this seriously. More people die from heart disease than those who succumb to cancer, Covid-19, car accidents, diabetes, drug overdoses and accidents in the home.

The National Health Institute offers a few tips to help you take care of your heart:

Get Enough Quality Sleep
Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which can help you create a heart-healthy eating style for life.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Stay hydrated with water as your primary beverage.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity (like running) exercise per week
Be More Active -- Getting enough physical activity helps to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke
Sit less! Take the stairs. Park farther away. March in place or take a walk around the block.
Try muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing sit-ups and pushups, or some forms of yoga—whatever works for you.
Stop Smoking Any amount of smoking, even light or occasional smoking, damages your heart and blood vessels.
Try the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Program which combines diet, physical activity, and weight management to help lower high blood cholesterol and improve heart health.
Limit alcohol consumption.
Use relaxation techniques that combine breathing and focused attention on pleasing thoughts and images to calm the mind and body.
Have your blood pressure checked each time you visit the doctor.
Try to do at least one positive action for your heart health each day.
Make the doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off.
Ask family and friends to text you reminders or encouragement to help you meet your health goals.

Visit hearttruth.gov for more information.