February is American Heart Month; and this past week’s First Friday in February was the traditional “Wear Red for Women’s Heart Health Day.” OSF Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Karen Whitehorn says a big part of keeping your heart healthy, especially for seniors, is taking any medications you have correctly; as well as proper diet.
AUDIO: If you’re on medication, take your medicine every single day. You want to exercise; you want to eat healthy. And by eating healthy, you want to eat a diet that’s low in sodium. You don’t want to eat a lot of processed foods. You also want to eat fruits, vegetables, fresh grains; and lean proteins like turkey, chicken, and lean pork.
Dr. Whitehorn also says not only is it important to see your doctor, but it’s also important not to be afraid while visiting your doctor.
AUDIO: People get nervous “seeing” the doctor. So they’re already a little bit upset because they have to come to the doctor. And so, when you take the blood pressure, (sometimes) the blood pressure goes up. So normally, the nurse takes the blood pressure first; and then after they’ve been resting for a while, the doctor comes in and takes it again. (And then) it usually comes down.
For more “Senior Heart Health Tips” from OSF, click here: https://newsroom.osfhealthcare.org/senior-heart-health-tips/
