photo by: Ashley Hocking/Journal-World File Photo

The emergency entrance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital is shown in this Journal-World file photo from Jan. 26, 2018.

February is American Heart Month. At LMH Health, we hope you will join us for this year’s Healthy Hearts Fair on Feb. 9.

According to the National Department of Health and Human Services, it is important to know your cholesterol numbers. High blood cholesterol comes with no symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high.

Lowering cholesterol levels lessens the risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of a heart attack. When you know your numbers, you can make choices to improve or maintain your health.

A variety of factors can affect cholesterol levels. For example, you cannot control your age or family history, but you can control your diet, weight and level of exercise. Eating a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help lower your cholesterol level. LMH Health dietitians will be at the Healthy Hearts Fair to discuss simple ways you can improve your food choices.

Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease, and it tends to increase your cholesterol. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight.

According to the American Heart Association, you should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week. Staff members from LMH Health Cardiac Rehabilitation will be available to discuss ways to incorporate more physical activity into your day.

LMH Health Lab will offer cholesterol screenings for $25. You can register for the screening at the fair. Fasting from food and drink is recommended for nine to 12 hours before the blood draw to ensure accurate results. Results will be mailed for your HDL and LDL, triglycerides and cholesterol ratios. You can share these results with your health care provider. Free screenings will include blood pressure, body mass index and finger stick glucose.

Be sure to stop by exhibitors’ booths, including:

• Lawrence Parks and Recreation, to learn where you can exercise for free

• The Merc, for a taste test of its heart-healthy options

• Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical for a demonstration of hands-only CPR

— Allison Koonce is community outreach & engagement supervisor at LMH Health, your partner for lifelong health and a major sponsor of the Lawrence Journal-World’s Health section. She can be reached at allison.koonce@lmh.org.