BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — February is the time to remind people of the importance of taking care of themselves when it comes to cardiovascular health.

According to the World Health Organization, heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women.

Dr. Viral Mehta, a cardiologist at Adventist Health Bakersfield, said a major risk factor for heart failure is drug abuse, which weakens the heart.

Kern County is facing an addiction crisis and local experts want to share this information with the public.

“Street drugs and stimulants, as you know, can cause irregular heart rhythms in young people when exposed to certain street drugs, even in heart-healthy people,” Mehta said. Ta. “And unfortunately, a lot of these street drugs, we don’t even know what their ingredients are. These so-called designer drugs, you know, come up with combinations of different things. , with so many unpredictable effects.”

The Heart Foundation says:

• A healthy diet helps your heart health. Here are some nutritional tips to help keep your heart healthy.
• Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing a heart attack and heart disease.
• Quitting smoking reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke almost immediately.
• Understanding and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure is the key to heart health.

Dr. Micah Roberts, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente, says chemical changes can cause brain damage in cases of cardiac arrest.

“When someone goes into cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. We’re not necessarily thinking about recovering the heart, we’re thinking about preventing the brain damage that comes with it,” Roberts said. “CPR can help restore oxygen to the brain, or the AED can restore normal rhythm so CPR can be performed without the heart compressing the chest.”