Every 36 seconds, someone in the U.S. dies from cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the good news is that many factors that can lead to heart problems are within your control — diet, exercise and more.

February is American Heart Month, and it’s a good reminder to look at your lifestyle and how you can improve your heart health. It’s also important to recognize signs that you need to seek help.

Charis Grosdidier, a nurse practitioner with Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence, said many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease can be managed through diet, exercise and treating other medical conditions. She advised eating more lean meat, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables; making sure other medical problems, such as diabetes, are properly treated; and quitting cigarettes if you smoke.

Grosdidier also said that one of the best things you can do for your heart is to adopt an exercise program. Walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week can be a great start, she said.

“Losing weight is also helpful for heart health, especially for conditions such as atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular and very fast heart rhythm that can lead to clots and overall increase your risk of stroke, heart failure and more,” she said.

You can’t control all of the risk factors for heart disease. Family history is important, too. When meeting with your doctor, it is important to talk about your family’s health history. If there is a trend of heart failure in your family, it may be wise to have a heart risk assessment completed.

“If you have a family history of heart disease, it’s important to make sure that you don’t have any of the risk factors you could eliminate to control the development of heart disease,” Grosdidier said. “This is great to discuss with your primary care provider who is familiar with your medical history.”

Heart emergencies

If you’re experiencing cardiovascular symptoms that seem unusual, it’s a good idea to contact your primary care provider’s office and ask what they suggest you do. They’ll probably advise one of three things: seeing them that day for an evaluation, going to the emergency department or calling 911 immediately.

If you have a concern outside of your primary care clinic’s hours, go to the emergency department — especially if you feel like you may be having a heart attack. And if you’re seriously concerned at any time, you should call 911.

Grosdidier said the most common symptoms of heart failure include a heavy feeling over the middle or left side of your chest, especially if that feeling is accompanied by pain down your arm, pain up your neck, nausea, sweating or shortness of breath.

Women may experience different types of symptoms in addition to these ones. Women more commonly will have upper abdominal pain, fatigue and lightheadedness. Dr. Darcy Conaway, a cardiologist with Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence, said research has shown that women are less likely to experience the classic symptom of chest pain and “more likely to perceive symptoms as stress or anxiety.”

“Women were also more likely than men to have sought medical attention for similar symptoms before their actual heart attack,” Conaway said.

Early warning signs

How can you spot cardiovascular problems before having a major crisis like a heart attack? Some warning signs to look for are shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain, swollen feet and ankles and decreased exercise tolerance.

“When comparing a healthy heart vs. an unhealthy heart, we can see that healthy hearts can squeeze effectively and relax effectively,” Grosdidier said. “We keep our hearts healthy by exercising, keeping our cholesterol under control, abstaining from smoking and keeping high blood pressure and diabetes controlled.”

Cholesterol is a substance the body needs to build cells and make vitamins and hormones. But it can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke when it sticks to the walls of blood vessels.

You’ll often hear about “good” cholesterol, or HDL, and “bad” cholesterol, or LDL. Conaway said that “the rule of thumb is good cholesterol can be beneficial to the heart and vessels, whereas bad cholesterol can increase your risk of a serious medical event.”

Conaway also said that foods that are high in saturated and trans fats can cause your body to make more LDL.

Even if your heart isn’t in good shape, it’s not too late to start getting healthy. You can start good habits such as a healthy diet or an exercise routine, no matter what stage of life you’re in.

“We can prevent heart disease … by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active and knowing your family history,” Conaway said. “If you have already had heart disease, you are much more likely to live a normal lifespan and have a good quality of life if you are proactive before an attack happens.”

— Jessica Thomas is the social media and digital communications specialist for LMH Health, which is a major sponsor of the Journal-World’s Health section.