February is American Heart Month
Heart disease is a big problem. It is the leading cause of death in Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2022 approximately 703,000 Americans died from heart disease, or about 1 in every 5 deaths. Death due to heart disease results in part to modern peoples’ lifestyle choices. Common lifestyle factors that affect heart health include diet, depression, chronic stress, excess weight, physical inactivity, insomnia, smoking and substance abuse.
Make healthy lifestyle choices to feel good.
What Is Heart Disease?
Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type is high blood pressure. But coronary artery disease, often referred to as high cholesterol, is also a very common problem for many. These conditions can worsen and cause heart attack. People also have problems with stroke, angina, congestive heart failure, peripheral artery disease and heart arrhythmias.
Make Good Choices.
Take care of your heart health. By doing so, you will preserve your independence. Your lifestyle choices do affect your heart health. These are the choices you make about what you eat, how much exercise you get and whether you choose to smoke or drink alcohol.
Your Emotions and Your Heart
Is it a myth to die of a broken heart? Have you ever had a “racing heart” when you were excited? Or did you ever feel your heart beating up into your throat when you were frightened or frustrated?
Do feelings of love have a positive affect on your heart?
The heart has been the symbol of romantic love across all cultures. In 2500 BC, ancient Egyptian illustrations depict the heart as the symbol of love. The Roman goddess of love was Venus. Her son, Cupid, would shoot an arrow into the heart to stimulate feelings of love. Ancient Christian texts depict St. Valentine surrounded by hearts.
In western history, especially, the link between love and the heart is centuries old. The heart is the center of all emotion, particularly love, which is expressed in so many of William Shakespeare’s plays and poetry. King Lear asks, “Wilt break my heart?” Hamlet’s uncle Claudius agrees to see Hamlet’s play “with all my heart.” Iago, the villain in Othello scornfully refuses to “wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at…” When Romeo sees Juliet, he asks, “Did my heart love til now?”
Of course, we expect the feelings of love and happiness to affect the health of the heart in a good way. But what about negative emotions. Are extreme emotional events detrimental to heart health?
Science suggests a link between heart disease and emotions such as dread, fear and sadness. Negative emotions cause your body to release stress hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones prepare your body to react and increase your blood pressure and heart rate. After your stress subsides, your blood pressure and heart rate should return to normal. Continual stress doesn’t give your body a chance to recover and may damage the artery wall. It’s not clear that stress alone causes high blood pressure, but it does pose an indirect risk because it affects behaviors such as smoking, overeating, alcoholism and physical inactivity.
Feelings of love are good for heart health.
Conversely positive feelings of love can benefit heart health. People in happy, loving relationships have been shown to have better blood pressure values compared to those single or unhappily married. When you are with the one you love, that light fluttering feeling may actually be your blood pressure dropping! Loving feelings create hormones that benefit the nervous system, helping people relax and help reduce pain, improve sleep, lower depression and increase life expectancy.
It’s Heathy Heart Month, so fall in love.
What is “Heart Healthy” Living
If you are age 65 or older and male, African American and have a family history of heart attack, you are at increased risk over other groups. Family history, race, sex and age are risk factors you cannot control. But there are other factors that you can control.
Lifestyle choices can affect you heart health. These are choices you make about what you eat, how much exercise you get and whether you choose to smoke or drink alcohol.
Be Fit
Physical activity can reduce heart disease. It helps promote blood flow to tissue and organs. This means at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Like all muscles, your heart benefits from physical activity. Exercise also improves balance, and coordination, strengthens bones and muscles, builds confidence and can help you lose weight.
Your heart benefits from physical activity.
Activities like gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count. Be sure to check with a healthcare professional before starting an exercise regimen. AW can help. Our physical therapists can help launch a safe exercise program tailored just for you. Call us. (314) 330-7992
Get Your Steps In
Studies in which 51% of the participants were over age 60, and 39% had at least one chronic health condition, show that walking is beneficial to heart health. Walking three times per week for 20 to 40 minutes for approximately three months was shown to lower blood pressure and reduce heart rate.
Stop Smoking
Nicotine is highly addictive, so quitting can be extremely difficult. Set a “stop date” and tell your doctor that you want to quit.
Don’t smoke if you want to keep your heart healthy.
Manage Your Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but in times of continued stress your brain is constantly sounding the “fight or flight” alarm. This can result in problems like high blood pressure. If you have trouble managing stress, seek your doctor’s assistance.
Eat Right
Your diet should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, poultry, fish, nuts and legumes and non-tropical oils. Watch your portion sizes. Reduce your salt intake. Eating right prevents plaque buildup. Include 5 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Here are some delicious ideas that support healthy blood pressure and help reduce plaque buildup in your arteries: apples, garbanzo beans, almonds, blueberries, grapes, figs, walnuts and deep green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. High-fiber foods are also important like oatmeal, brown rice and whole grain bread. You can also enjoy dark chocolate, red wine and tea. But watch your weight! Keep to smaller portions at meals and skip high-sugar/high-salt snacks.
Watch your weight. Keep to smaller portions.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
CAD is often called hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. The arteries give the heart vital oxygen and nutrients. When your body has too much LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol, it can build up on the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called “plaque.” As your blood vessels build up plaque over time, the insides of the vessels narrow. When this happens, it’s harder for blood to flow through, potentially causing a clot. If a blood clot forms, it can stop blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke.
- LDL (low density Lipoprotein) – the “BAD” Cholesterol
- If your LDL is 190 or more, your doctor may suggest an LDL-lowering statin drug and healthy lifestyle choices to avoid heart disease.
- HDL Cholesterol – the “GOOD” Cholesterol
- HDL takes the bad cholesterol out of your blood. So raise your HDL! Eat more fish. Increase your intake of soluble fiber (beans, legumes, oats, barley, berries). Lose weight. Exercise more. And avoid deep-fried foods, whole-fat dairy products, fast foods and commercially baked goods.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids are Good for Your Heart
Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease triglycerides (fat in the blood), lower blood pressure slightly, reduce blood clotting, decrease stroke and heart failure risk and reduce irregular heartbeats.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Is your body getting the oxygen it needs to function properly? If you have CHF, the heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should, and oxygen is not getting through the body. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen legs and rapid heartbeat.
How Can I Live Better With CHF?
Try meditation and relaxation techniques to control your stress.
Treatments can include eating less salt, limiting fluid intake, and taking prescription medications. In some cases, a defibrillator or pacemaker may be implanted. Get physical exercise. Try walking just 20 to 30 minutes 5 days a week. Don’t smoke. Lose some weight. Cut back on salt to 1,500 to 2.400 mg per day.
February is also Senior Independence Month…take care of your heart health and you will keep your independence!
Here’s How! Watch your numbers. Get regular check-ups to monitor health conditions that affect the heart including blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes and make sure they’re under control with proper diet, exercise and medication. If you haven’t had your blood pressure or cholesterol checked lately, let us know. We can help you get these important checks done conveniently for you. Call us. (314) 330-7992.
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