Show your heart some love: experts share tips to prevent heart disease

LELAND (WWAY) — Valentine’s Day is all about hearts — the candy ones, paper ones, and the ones we give away.

But doctors say the most important heart is the one keeping you alive.

This holiday, show it some love by lowering your risk of heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women, costing more than $168 billion annually.

There are many different types of heart diseases, including strokes, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.

Some common risk factors include obesity, bad eating habits, minimal to no movement, and smoking.

Dr. Anup Sharma with UnitedHealthcare says to lower one’s cardiovascular risk, there are simple, practical steps you can take.

“We’ve got to quit smoking, we’ve got to lose weight, get exercise, get sleep. That’s what really leads to us living longer, healthier, more functional lives,” said Sharma.

Doctors recommend talking to your primary care doctor to see what risk factors you may have and a score on the likelihood of you having a heart attack.