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For Immediate Release February 04, 2025

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February is American Heart Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about heart health and preventing heart disease. Your heart is, well, at the "heart" of your well-being, pumping oxygen-rich blood to every part of your body. Taking care of it through a healthy diet, regular exercise, and lifestyle choices can significantly improve your overall health. This month, take the opportunity to learn more about heart disease prevention and make heart-healthy habits a priority!

Keeping a Healthy Heart

Regular exercise and a well-balanced diet help maintain a healthy heart and reduce the risk of developing cancer. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, or 30 minutes of exercise 5 days each week. SIH Prairie Heart Institute Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Issa Pour-Ghaz tries to meet this goal as best he can and encourages people to do the same.

“We’re all busy,” Dr. Pour-Ghaz says. “We have work to do, and by the time we get home, we’re tired. I try to achieve that goal and even if I can’t hit the 150 minutes, if I can get 100 minutes each week, I’m fine.”

Staying motivated to exercise can be a challenge. Dr. Pour-Ghaz recommends finding a way to make exercise entertaining, such as watching a show or something that piques your interest.

A balanced diet is important to keeping your heart pumping properly. Healthy input creates healthy output: nutrient-rich foods are fuel for moving through the day. The American Heart Association recommends a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, legumes, nuts and fish. Try to reduce the amount of sugar you consume, especially in soda and other soft drinks. Dr. Pour-Ghaz encourages moderation, especially when eating meat products. If possible, try to eat more white meat (fish and chicken) than red meat (beef, lamb and pork).

Chest Pain: When to Call 911

While not all chest pain signals a heart attack, it should never be ignored. Chest pain can be a sign of many things, including acid reflux, muscle strain, anxiety or lung issues. However, identifying the exact cause of chest pain can be challenging, so it’s important to be proactive about your health.

“When we look at chest pain in terms of the patient population or somebody who has chest pain, it's very different in terms of risk factors that you have,” says Dr Pour-Ghaz. “If somebody in their 60s has diabetes and hypertension throughout their life, and developed kidney disease because of the diabetes, that's different than someone in their 20s having chest pain.”

Chest pain may be heart-related when it’s long lasting, up to 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Call 911 immediately if your chest pain:

  • Is sudden, severe, crushing or feels like pressure on the chest.
  • Radiates to the arms, jaw, back or shoulders.
  • Is accompanied by shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, dizziness or fainting.

Women often show different heart attack symptoms, including nausea, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and back or jaw pain.

It’s especially important to call 911 if you have a personal history or family history of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Remember: do not drive yourself to the ER; call 911.

If you do not have a history of heart issues and your symptoms feel different than those above, your chest pain still needs attention. Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician if your chest pain:

  • Is brief, sharp or localized and worsens with movement or deep breathing.
  • Happens after eating or lying down.
  • Is related to anxiety or stress but does not persist.

To learn more about how to keep a healthy heart, listen to Dr. Pour-Ghaz’s full interview on WJPF radio.