Heart Health

Blood pressure is the force of blood pumped from your heart against your blood vessels. This force allows your blood to flow while delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. Too much pressure (high systolic), for too long (high diastolic), can damage your blood vessels and organs such as the heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain.

You should regularly check your blood pressure to determine if you need to start taking measures to control it. According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, there are three blood pressure risk levels you could fall into:

• Category Systolic/Diastolic
• Low Risk 120/80
• Medium Risk 121-134/80-84
• High Risk 135+/85+

Check your blood pressure and determine your risk at a Rexall Blood Pressure kiosk.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your bloodstream that your body needs to rebuild its cells and make certain hormones. Your body only requires a small amount of cholesterol.

High cholesterol occurs when there is an excess of cholesterol in your bloodstream. This is a common condition, and cholesterol levels tend to increase with age. Unfortunately, high cholesterol can significantly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and conditions related to reduced blood flow.

To determine if you have high cholesterol, you can get a blood test which measures your:

• High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (good cholesterol),
• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and
• Triglycerides (type of fat/lipid)

Book your Cholesterol (Lipid) Test with your pharmacist today.

The best immediate changes you can make to improve your heart health is to incorporate more activity, improve your diet and cut out calorie-rich food and drinks. Even small steps can start to add up, so try incorporating a 10-minute walk into your day and eat one extra piece of fruit or vegetable every day. Simple changes will be easier to maintain, rather than making large lifestyle adjustments.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. It provides an energy boost and is easy to fit into your lifestyle, as opposed to more strenuous workouts. It doesn't just benefit your heart, either: it's great for your lungs, and improves fitness, muscle tone, strength and balance. All that activity also improves sleep, reduces stress and helps combat depression. Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference, but if possibly, try to incorporate 30 minutes of light to moderate walking into your daily routine. You don't even need to do it all at once – it's the total time that you're after.

For adults, a normal resting heart rate ranges between 60 to 100 beats per minute. A lower resting heart rate indicates efficient heart function and strong cardiovascular health.

The best way to lower your risk of stroke is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Choose healthy foods and drinks, embrace an active lifestyle with regular physical exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, and work with your health care professionals to lower blood pressure, control your medications and get checkups regularly.

Not all factors that contribute to heart disease can be controlled: your family history, your sex at birth or your age can all play a role. However, there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart disease. Avoid smoking and tobacco, eat a heart-healthy diet, and make sure to get regular exercise – aim for at least 30 to 60 minutes of activity on a daily basis. It's also important to reduce stress and get plenty of sleep. Above all, get regular check-ups and take steps to avoid infections as certain infections can lead to heart problems.