Most deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented with “timely interventions” like quitting smoking, eating a healthier diet, risk-factor screening, exercising, and checking cholesterol and blood sugar levels regularly.
February is American Heart Month.
Cardiologists at Resolute Baptist Hospital near Creekside in New Braunfels want to educate and motivate local residents to care for their health, the hospital said in a press release Monday.
“Heart disease not only claims more lives than all cancers combined, it can also result in severe disability that can destroy quality of life for its victims and their families,” said Vijaykumar Bodar, MD, a Resolute cardiologist. “If left untreated, cardiovascular disease can lead to a wide array of debilitating and life-threatening health complications, including heart failure, heart attack and stroke.”
He said patients can take charge of their cardiac health and reduce their overall risk from cardiovascular disease by taking some simple steps and making sensible lifestyle changes.
According to the latest information from the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease kills more than 930,000 people in the United States every year.
The AHA reports nearly half of all Americans (48.6%) have some type of cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and high blood pressure. A survey found that 51% of participants were unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country for both men and women.
Heart disease was long considered a condition that primarily affected men. Studies have shown that women are as prone to heart attacks as men, but they usually occur 10 years later in women than they do in men.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack or coronary disease for both sexes. Women may also experience such symptoms as anxiety, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, upset stomach, and unusual tiredness and weakness.
AHA’s eight “essential rules” for lowering the risk of a first-time heart attack or stroke are:
- Eat better. Aim for a healthy diet that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts and seeds. Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol, and highly processed foods.
- Be more active. Adults should get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week.
- Quit tobacco. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, including about a third of all deaths from heart disease.
- Get healthy sleep. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep promotes healing, improves brain function and reduces the risk for chronic diseases.
- Manage your weight. Obesity and diabetes are contributing factors to cardiovascular disease. Maintaining a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 is considered optimal.
- Control your cholesterol. “Good” and “bad” cholesterol levels are impacted by things such as diet, exercise, fat intake, and smoking. Medications prescribed by doctors can also help control them.
- Manage your blood sugar. Most food turns into into glucose (or blood sugar) that the body uses as energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
- Manage your blood pressure. Keeping blood pressure levels less than 120/80 mm Hg is considered optimal. Eating healthy, exercising, losing weight, quitting smoking and getting enough sleep can all help lower your blood pressure.
“For anyone having difficulty in following these guidelines, the key thing is to not allow yourself to get discouraged,” Bodar said. “Even taking small steps at the beginning to lose weight or lower your blood pressure can have a significant impact on your cardiac health. If you start today, you can get results very rapidly on the road to living a healthier lifestyle.”
