February Is Heart Month: Schedule a Date with Your Heart
When trying to live a heart-healthy lifestyle, it’s important to begin with a more comprehensive look at all of the risk factors for heart disease — or conditions that increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease. Some of the risk factors cannot be changed; however, you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Know the Basics
The following factors for heart disease are beyond your control:
- Increasing age – Heart disease becomes more likely as you get older. About 85 percent of people who die of heart disease are age 65 or older.
- Male gender – Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women.
- Menopause – After menopause, a woman’s risk of heart disease increases and approaches the level of a man’s.
- Family history – Your risk of heart disease increases if your parents, brothers, sisters or children have the disease.
- Race – The risk of cardiovascular disease is higher in Blacks, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans.
- This increased risk is partly due to higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes in these populations.
What You Can Control
Stop smoking. Smoking is the most preventable risk factor for heart disease. Eliminate the use of all tobacco products — and stay away from other’s smoke.
Lower your total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol & triglyceride levels. It is recommended to have your cholesterol level checked as early as age 20 or earlier if you have a family history of high cholesterol. The cholesterol profile includes an evaluation of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels. Your healthcare provider can tell you how often to have your cholesterol tested.
Raise your HDL (good cholesterol). HDL cholesterol takes the LDL (bad) cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver where it can be passed out of the body. High levels of HDL seem to protect against cardiovascular disease.
Lower high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and kidneys, increasing the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney disease.
Control diabetes. People with diabetes, especially women, have a higher risk of heart disease because diabetes increases other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides; lower HDL; and high blood pressure. Keeping diabetes under control is critical to reducing your risk.
Maintain a healthy body weight. While being thin isn’t a panacea, research has shown that being overweight contributes to the onset of cardiovascular disease. That makes it important that you achieve and maintain a desirable weight.
Exercise. The heart is like any other muscle — it needs a workout to stay strong and healthy. Exercising helps improve how well the heart pumps blood through your body. Aim for moderate exercise 30 minutes a day, on most days.
Follow a heart-healthy diet. Whether you’re aiming to prevent heart disease or trying to prevent further heart damage, following a “traditional Mediterranean diet” has been shown to have a heart-protective effect. Aim for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and that includes fish, nuts and low-fat dairy. Also choose vegetable oils rich in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats and avoid products that contain hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Schedule a date with your heart
If it has been awhile since your last check up, it’s not too late to schedule a heart screening. Our team of cardiac nurses will help you understand the risks of heart disease and how to minimize those risks through a thorough history and physical.
The screening includes:
- Complete lipid profile and blood sugar
- Blood pressure and heart rate
- EKG
- Body Mass Index
- Stress assessment
The screening cost is just $35. At the end of your visit you will receive a personalized cardiac health plan and a referral to any appropriate providers you may need. For more information, call Lakewood Hospital Preventive Heart Clinic at 216.529.8500.