Heart Health

WEEK 34 – THINK HEART HEALTH* (before it’s too late!)
America's No. 1 Killer is Heart Disease - more than 910,000 Americans die of heart disease annually. But people aren't scared enough of heart disease, says a top U.S. research cardiologist.
"We have bypass surgery and stents and drugs that work; so the mortality rates are declining."
It's true that U.S. heart disease deaths overall are down. From 1993 to 2003, cardiovascular disease death rates dropped 22.1 percent. Still more than 70 million Americans live every day with some form of heart disease, which can include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, angina (chest pain), heart attack and congenital heart defects.

Wake Up America, You’re Older than You Think
"We're just on the front end of the baby boomer epidemic, where the projections on the amount of cardiovascular disease are climbing steadily over the next 10 years," he said.
"We're delaying the disease, but we're not preventing it," said Dr. Steven Nissen, president of the American College of Cardiology.

5 Things You Can Do
-Eat more fiber and good fat – Choose fats that are high in Omega-3 (soluble fats like those from barley. Stay away from trans fats. Eat more fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and low-mercury fish like salmon, trout and sardines. The best oils to use are canola, olive, safflower and soybean,
-Cut back on cholesterol and salt – If you have elevated LDL levels try to consume less than 200 milligrams daily. And anyone with high blood pressure can reduce their risk of a heart attack by 25% just by cutting back on sodium. A good goal is less than 2,300 mg/day, which is about one teaspoon.
-Lose the gut – Carrying extra weight in your mid-section raises blood pressure, affects blood lipids, causes insulin resistance and can inflame the arteries The critical point for women is 35 inches and for men it is 40 inches (regardless of height). Read on…it will take some work!
-Exercise 3-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes each time (get that heart rate up, but if you’re out of shape talk to your doctor first. A combination of aerobic exercises and strengthening exercises is the best way to go.
-Know the signs and symptoms – Symptoms are warning signs…wait too long and you will have a Heart Attack.
· Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
· Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort: in one or both arms; the back; neck; jaw; or, stomach.
· Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
· Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
‘Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility.’