RWJBarnabas Health’s Top 5 Heart Health Tips

RWJBarnabas Health has the top cardiovascular specialists, researchers, and innovative treatments, but they also know there's plenty you can do to keep your heart strong before you ever need to visit them.

So they're sharing these tips in honor of Heart Health Month:

1) Keep up with preventative medicine and your primary care physician. Have regular physicals and speak to your doctor about any risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking.

2) Remember that cold weather can pose problems. Never engage in high-impact physical activity in cold weather without first clearing it with your doctor – this includes shoveling or pulling your child on a sled. When spending time outdoors and breathing cold air is making your chest feel tight, go inside and assess how you feel.

3) Always be in tune with your body, and know the warning signs. A heart attack doesn’t always present as chest pain so if you’re not feeling right, use caution and seek medical attention. The most common heart attack symptoms include:

• Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, and arms
• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain at the center of the chest
• Chest discomfort
• Profound fatigue 

4) Make heart-healthy choices part of your daily life. Whether that's caring for your mental health, choosing good exercise options, or eating healthy, the little choices you make on a regular basis can have a profound effect on your health over time. RWJBarnabas Health's Heart Care Blog has several ideas for improving your lifestyle one step at a time.

5) Encourage close friends and family to take care of their hearts. RWJBarnabas Health has multiple heart health e-cards that you can send to encourage others to be proactive about their heart health. Learn more here.