What’s a great gift for Dad that comes neatly packaged, has a cool beat and looks great in red? A healthy heart!
Give your dad the best gift of all by joining him in living a heart healthy lifestyle. Healthy lifestyles can help prevent heart disease and stroke, and help Dad and the whole family live a longer, stronger, healthier life.
Heart disease is the number one killer of men. According to the American Heart Association, a man’s risk for heart disease begins to rise greatly starting at 45 years of age. Unfortunately, half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease—the most common kind of heart disease—have no previous symptoms. Even men who have no symptoms may be at risk.
The good news is the majority of heart disease incidence can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting smoking, reducing sodium to 1,500 mg/daily, and exercising 30 minutes most days of the week.
If you’re giving Dad a Father’s Day BBQ, choose healthier items or make his favorite dishes in a healthier way. The American Heart Association recommends lean meats or fish for grilling, adding vegetables to dishes, using whole grain breads and side dishes, and enjoying fruit for dessert.
Looking for a fun activity to do with Dad? Do something active like a long walk on the beach or hiking! Maybe he would enjoy a fun game of volleyball or badminton in the backyard. Does he love to golf? Walking the entire 18-hole course really gets the heart pumping.
FACTS ABOUT MEN’S HEART HEALTH:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, killing 321,000 men in 2013—that’s 1 in every 4 male deaths.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian American or Pacific Islander men, heart disease is second only to cancer.
- About 8.5% of all white men, 7.9% of black men, and 6.3% of Mexican American men have coronary heart disease.
- Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.
- Between 70% and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.
To learn more about how your family can begin to lead a healthier life, please visit www.heart.org.