Every 6 minutes, someone dies of a heart attack. Heart and circulatory disease is the UK’s biggest killer-claiming nearly 200,000 lives every year. This month, however, is National Heart Month and the British Heart Foundation in Lincoln is raising awareness about the dangers of heart disease.
National Heart month is the time of year where the British Heart Foundation asks the UK to think about their heart health. They encourage everyone to follow the BEAT health code to improved heart health.
Be active: Regular physical activity helps to keep your heart healthy. Aim to do at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week.
Eat healthy: Healthy eating helps reduce your risk of heart disease. We’re all allowed a little of what we fancy, but try to cut down on saturated fats, salt and alcohol.
Avoid smoking: Smoking can double your risk of having a heart attack. Stopping smoking is the single biggest step you can take to avoid damaging your heart and live longer.
Take the lifestyle check: Find out how you measure up and what steps you can take to look after your heart. Take the free lifestyle check at www.bhf.org.uk
Our reporter Gemma speaks to Rachel Goacher, who lost her husband to heart disease. Listen here for the full package.