February is Healthy Heart Month, an entire month meant to raise awareness about heart disease and how it can be prevented.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death of men and women in the United States. It’s the cause of death for one in every four deaths in the U.S. and about 610,000 people die each year in the U.S. from heart disease, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing over 370,000 people annually. Even more eye opening — every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack, most of which occur as a first heart attack.

Thankfully, there are some easy ways to help control your risk for heart disease.

The simplest is to not smoke.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the CDC. If you currently smoke, it’s best to take the steps to quit.

The CDC also recommends making healthy eating changes. Instead of high sodium foods, try to eat more fruits and vegetables.

And last but not least, stay active. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise each day for a total of 150 minutes per week.

If you’re able to do those things, your odds of being diagnosed with heart disease greatly decline.

We often say love comes from the heart and you’ll see hearts everywhere at grocery stores in the weeks ahead due to Valentine’s Day approaching. Now, it’s time to make sure we all love our hearts back.

Take the steps to become healthier. Your heart will thank you.