Heart and Health Cardiovascular Prevention

By David Kavesteen, M.D. FACC

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women. There are a few risk factors that could increase of developing heart diseases – they are Hypertension, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Smoking, Obesity, and Family History of heart disease/ Genetic Make Up. Although some risk factors are unavoidable, such as your age or family blueprint, there are many ways you can prevent heart disease. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle can definitely decrease your chances of future heart disease.

Hypertension

Hypertension is most commonly known as high blood pressure. Though it is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, it is often called “the silent killer” because it rarely gives rise to physical symptoms. A healthy adult has a blood pressure of about 120/80. A patient is considered to have high blood pressure if it is consistently measured to be 140/90 or higher.High blood pressure causes the heart to work harder in order to pump blood to the rest of the body. Thus, it is the leading cause of stroke and the major cause of heart attack.

There are many factors that contribute to its development including: smoking, lack of physical activity, stress, consuming more than 1-2 alcoholic beverages daily, obesity, family history of heart disease/high blood pressure, overconsumption of salts and fats, diabetes and kidney disease. There are many drugs that work to treat and lower high blood pressure, however, the best defense is to prevent it early on.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism, the way our bodies use digested food for energy. Diabetes develops when the pancreas does not make enough insulin, or the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly, or both. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. In individuals who have diabetes, their blood sugar is often much higher than it should be. Here are some tips that will allow you to lower your risk: Keep your blood sugar level under control. Lose weight and keep it off. Even losing ten pounds can help. Increase your physical activity. Exercise is extremely important for people who have diabetes. You can work with your doctor to create exercises that will work best for you and be safe. Individuals with diabetes are at a much higher risk for heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. Over time, high blood glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessel, leading to complications such as heart disease and stroke, which is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. If you have diabetes, it’s advised to get cardiovascular check-ups regularly. Professionals such as Cardiovascular Group are able to help with this, along with many others across the world.

High Cholesterol (Dyslipidemia)

Dyslipidemia (or Hyperlipidemia) is a condition of abnormally elevated lipids (fat) in your blood. These elevated lipids in your blood primarily refer to high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. At normal levels, these lipids perform important functions in your body, but when present in excess, they can pose serious health problems. The causes of Dyslipidemia, which is diagnosed by a blood test, usually come from lifestyle habits, or treatable medical conditions. Obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, and eating foods high in fat and cholesterol can all contribute to high lipids in the blood. Also, conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or hypothyroidism, if untreated, can contribute to Dyslipidemia.

Smoking Cessation

Every 72 seconds, someone dies from smoking. An estimated 25.9 million men, 22.8 million women and 4.1 million teenagers ages 12 through 17 are smokers in the United States. Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of preventable disease and death. Approximately 75% of coronary heart disease cases are due to cigarette smoking. Eliminating smoking can greatly reduce the occurrence and risks of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disease.

Obesity

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States that affects not only adults, but also the youth. The terms obesity and overweight have different implications. Obesity is defined as having an excess of total body fat. On the other hand, being overweight means weighing too much, which could result from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. Being obese increases your risk for conditions such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, some cancers, stroke and other serious health problems. Weight loss of as little as 5% of one’s body weight can lower the risks of these diseases. Increasing physical activity and decreasing calorie intake through a nutritiously balanced diet can greatly reduce one’s risk of becoming overweight or obese as well as strengthen one’s overall health. At Heart and Health we pride ourselves to have the commitment to screen, prevent, and treat our patients. Any person with significant risk factors and heart palpitations, increase heart rate, dizziness, Chest Pain , Shortness Of Breath Weakness /Lack Of Energy should be screened and evaluated in order to prevent these unnecessary complication. Please visit our web site for more information www.HeartandHealth.com and www.KavesteenMD.com