Heart Disease: What You Need To Know
You can take action and lower your chance of developing heart disease and its risk factors like high blood pressure, overweight and obesity and diabetes.
WHAT IS HEART DISEASE?
Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease. Often referred to simply as “heart disease,” it is a disorder of the blood vessels of the heart that can lead to a heart attack. If you have coronary heart disease, it is a lifelong condition and will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Lifestyle affects many of the “risk factors” for heart disease. Risk factors are conditions or habits that increase the chances of developing a disease or having it worsen. For heart disease, there are two types—those you can’t change and those you can control. The ones you can’t change are a family history of early heart disease and age. But most of the risk factors can be controlled. Often, all it takes are lifestyle changes; sometimes, medication also is needed.
Here’s a quick review of these risk factors:
Smoking
If you currently smoke but quit smoking today, your heart disease risk will drop by more than half in one year. There’s no easy way to quit but making a smoking cessation plan helps. You also can try an organized program or a medication—ask your doctor if either is right for you.
High Blood Pressure
Also called hypertension, high blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. Even levels slightly above normal— called “prehypertension”—increase your heart disease risk. Hypertension also increases the risk of stroke and congestive heart failure.
You can lower elevated blood pressure by following a heart-healthy eating plan, including limiting your intake of salt and other forms of sodium, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and, if you drink alcoholic beverages, doing so in moderation (not more than one drink a day).
If you have high blood pressure, you also may need to take medication. One good eating plan, shown to lower elevated blood pressure, is called the DASH eating plan (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/dash-eating-plan).
High Blood Cholesterol
Excess cholesterol and fat in your blood build up in the walls of vessels that supply blood to the heart and can lead to blockages. A “lipoprotein profile” or “lipid profile” tests your levels of the key types of cholesterol—total, LDL (“bad”), and HDL (“good”) cholesterol—and triglycerides, a fatty substance in the blood.
Lower cholesterol by following a heart-healthy eating plan, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and, if needed, taking medication. Your doctor should order a lipid profile for you and review your numbers and what they mean for you.
Overweight/Obesity
Obesity increases the risk not only of heart disease, but also a host of other conditions, including stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis, and some cancers. If you’re overweight, even a small weight loss will help lower your risk.
At the very least, try not to gain more weight. Lasting weight loss needs a change of lifestyle—adopt a healthy, lower-calorie eating plan and get regular physical activity. Aim to lose no more than 1 pound per week.
Physical Inactivity
Physical activity is crucial for good health, including heart health. Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking on most, and preferably, all days of the week. If you need to, divide the period into shorter ones of at least 10 minutes each.
Diabetes
About 37.3 million Americans—about 1 in 10—have diabetes. In addition, about 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t know they have it. About two-thirds of those with diabetes die of a heart or blood vessel disease. The type of diabetes that adults most commonly develop is “type 2.” Diabetes can be diagnosed with a blood test. Modest changes in diet and level of physical activity can often prevent or delay the development of diabetes.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR
- What is my risk for heart disease?
- What is my blood pressure? What does it mean for me, and what do I need to do about it?
- What are my cholesterol numbers? (These include total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood and food.) What do they mean for me, and what do I need to do about them?
- What are my “body mass index” (BMI) and waist measurements? Do they mean that I need to lose weight for my health?
- What is my blood sugar level, and does it mean I’m at risk for diabetes? If so, what do I need to do about it?
- What other screening tests for heart disease do I need?
- What can you do to help me quit smoking?
- How much physical activity do I need to help protect my heart?
- What’s a heart-healthy eating plan for me?
- How can I tell if I may be having a heart attack? If I think I’m having one, what should I do?
TAKING ACTION
Begin taking the steps to heart health—don’t smoke, follow a heart-healthy eating plan, be physically active, and maintain a healthy weight. Start today to keep your heart strong.
BLOG AUTHOR
Dr. Bonita Coe, MD
Dr. Coe is an Internal Medicine specialist with a passion for helping people learn how they can take control of their healthcare choices. She has a keen interest in writing health blogs to teach people about managing their chronic health conditions. To know more about personalized consultation services, click here to visit her profile page.
