Download Six Heart Healthy Actions

Even people who look healthy and free of heart disease can have arrhythmias (abnormal heart
rhythms) and be at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). But those with heart disease are at the
highest risk. Reducing heart disease is important to help lower the risk of arrhythmias, stroke
and SCA. This February Heart Health Month, you can take action to prevent and treat heart
problems such as atherosclerosis (“clogged” arteries) and high blood pressure.
Maintaining Good Heart Health
There are many things people can do to decrease their risk of heart disease. Prevent heart
disease by lowering risk factors that can lead to cardiac heart rhythm problems, and by
monitoring and treating any existing heart problems.
1. Live a “heart healthy” life to reduce the
chances of developing heart rhythm
disorders. Exercising regularly, maintaining
a healthy weight, and eating a healthy, lowfat diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and
other vitamin-rich foods are the
cornerstones of “heart healthy” living.

2. Stop smoking and avoid secondhand
smoke. Tobacco (cigarettes) causes more
heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and
heart-related deaths than all illegal drugs
combined.

Cigarette smoking contributes to as much
as 1/3 of all heart disease.
3. Avoid or limit the intake of caffeine,
alcohol and other substances as well as
unnecessary stress. Too much caffeine,
alcohol or stress can cause irregular
jumping heartbeats.

Limit intake to no more than 1 alcoholic
drink/day which may lower the risk of
heart problems & increase “good”
cholesterol.
4. Know your family heart history and
understand how some health conditions
may increase the risk of abnormal heart
rhythms. Get regular health screenings to
monitor blood pressure, cholesterol levels
and diabetes.

Ideal blood pressure is less than 115/75;
HDL (good cholesterol) should be more
than 50 mg/dl.
5. Ask a doctor about ejection fraction (EF)
monitoring to determine if you are at
risk. EF refers to the percentage of blood
that is pumped out of the ventricles with
each contraction of the heart.

A normal heart pumps just over half the
heart’s volume of blood with each beat. A
normal ejection fraction is 50 to 75
percent.
6. Tell your doctor right away about any
unusual symptoms you have. If your heart
is racing, pounding or fluttering, consult your
physician who may refer you to a heart
specialist called an electrophyiologist.

The heart of an average man beats
approximately 70 times a minute,
whereas the average woman has a heart
rate of 78 beats per minute.
2,000 mg a day of salt to maintain a
healthy heart & help treat heart failure.

30 minutes of exercise a day can help
strengthen your heart & improve how well
it pumps blood to the rest of your body.
For more information on heart rhythm disorders, visit www.HRSonline.org.
Directions: Match the Heart Health Number in Column B with the
corresponding Heart Health Action in Column A
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
A. ____ Know your family
heart history and understand
how some health conditions
may increase the risk of
abnormal heart rhythms. Get
regular health screenings to
monitor blood pressure,
cholesterol levels and diabetes.
1. Cigarette smoking
contributes to as much as 1/3
of all heart disease.
B. ____ Live a “heart healthy”
life to reduce the chances of
developing heart rhythm
disorders. Exercising regularly,
maintaining a healthy weight,
and eating a healthy, low-fat
diet with plenty of vegetables,
fruits and other vitamin-rich
foods are the cornerstones of
“heart healthy” living.
2. A normal heart pumps just
over half the heart’s volume
of blood with each beat. A
normal ejection fraction is 50
to 75 percent.
C. ____ Avoid or limit the
intake of caffeine, alcohol and
other substances as well as
unnecessary stress. Too
much caffeine, alcohol or
stress can cause irregular
jumping heartbeats.
3. Ideal blood pressure is less
than 115/75; HDL (good
cholesterol) should be more
than 50 mg/dl.
D. ____ Tell your doctor right
away about any unusual
symptoms you have. If your
heart is racing, pounding or
fluttering, consult your
physician who may refer you
to a heart specialist called an
electrophyiologist.
4. 2,000 mg a day of salt to
maintain a healthy heart &
help treat heart failure.
30 minutes of exercise a day
can help strengthen your
heart & improve how well it
pumps blood to the rest of
your body.
E. ____ Stop smoking and
avoid secondhand smoke.
Tobacco (cigarettes) causes
more heart and blood vessel
disease, stroke and heartrelated deaths than all illegal
drugs combined.
5. The heart of an average
man beats approximately 70
times a minute, whereas the
average woman has a heart
rate of 78 beats per minute.
F. ____ Ask a doctor about
ejection fraction (EF)
monitoring to determine if you
are at risk. EF refers to the
percentage of blood that is
pumped out of the ventricles
with each contraction of the
heart.
6. Limit intake to no more
than 1 alcoholic drink/day
which may lower the risk of
heart problems & increase
“good” cholesterol.
Key: A.3; B.4; C.6; D.5; E.1; F.2