February is National Heart Month. Everyone has a heart. And it’s important that we understand how to keep it healthy and stay informed about the risks of heart related conditions.

Your chances of developing a heart condition depend on a number of factors. The more adverse factors you have the higher your risk.

Family history can play a significant role but so too can issues like high cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure. Highlighting ways that you can effectively manage these risk factors is one of the major goals of National Heart Month.

It might seem daunting. But just a small change in diet and exercise can have a huge impact on your cardiovascular health. Doing more of your own cooking, cutting out processed foods and keeping to an exercise routine could significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Here are some quick tips to look after your heart: 

• Eat a balanced diet 
• Watch your weight 
• Keep physically active 
• Stop smoking
• Moderate your alcohol intake 
• Manage your stress 
• Get enough sleep 

This national heart month why not take action and get a check up on your blood pressure and cholesterol readings? This can give you a better understanding of your overall heart health and your GP will give you some simple ways to improve and help you to create a more heart-friendly lifestyle. 

For information and support on heart health in Northern Ireland, please visit https://nichs.org.uk

For information and support in Scotland and England, please visit https://www.bhf.org.uk