The Rhythm of Life: Spreading Awareness About Heart Disease
Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States for more than a century, dating back to 1921, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.
Heart disease affects your heart and blood vessels and can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms and sometimes, death. Although some forms of heart disease can be reversed with medication, this is not always possible. However, most chronic heart conditions can be effectively managed with medications or other therapies.
With February being American Heart Month, we interviewed Natalie Bracewell, MD, FACC, a UF Health cardiologist, to raise awareness of heart disease.
“It’s important to recognize the common signs and symptoms of heart disease, the most common being shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing and left-sided neck and arm pain,” Dr. Bracewell said. “If you’re feeling chest pain while being active but not when resting, this can be concerning. However, in some cases, heart complications can have no symptoms, like high blood pressure. This is why it’s important to see your doctor and be screened.”
Some conditions do have warning signs, such as heart attacks, which are usually accompanied by symptoms like chest pain or pressure. Heart attacks are very common; every year, 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack. That’s the equivalent of someone having a heart attack every 40 seconds.
Still, many heart problems can emerge unexpectedly, often due to a lack of awareness. A myth that roams around is that older men are usually the ones who get diagnosed with heart disease. However, women are impacted almost as much, and patients younger than 65 years old make up 10% of cardiac patients.
Anyone can be affected, which is why it’s essential to talk to your doctor about addressing your risk factors to reduce your chance of developing heart disease.
“Heart disease can be passed down through your family. If someone has a strong family history of early heart issues in their mom, dad, brothers or sisters, then your risk of heart disease is significantly increased,” Dr. Bracewell said. “Cardiovascular disease also includes strokes, which can be life-altering. High cholesterol and high blood pressure significantly increase the risk of stroke. Additionally, the abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation can also raise this risk.”
It’s important to know the differences among heart conditions:
Heart attack: This occurs when a heart artery becomes blocked. It can happen suddenly when a piece of plaque breaks off and blocks blood flow to the rest of the heart. Heart attacks are usually associated with intense chest pain, but that’s not the only symptom. Patients may present with severe shortness of breath, indigestion, neck and arm pain or upper back pain.
Cardiac arrest: On the other hand, cardiac arrest causes a dangerous heart rhythm, leading to the stopping of heartbeats. If this occurs, you must start CPR and call 911 immediately.
Heart failure: This occurs when the heart either beats too weakly or relaxes too poorly. Consequently, fluid builds in the lungs, legs and abdomen. Patients can also experience short breath and sudden weight gain.
Although this information may seem overwhelming, there are ways to prevent heart disease. The American Heart Association encourages people to follow Life’s Essential 8 for the prevention of heart disease.
These include the following:
“Having a diet heavy in vegetables and lean or plant-based protein — such as beans, chicken and fish — is good fuel full of nutrients,” Dr. Bracewell said. “Trying to avoid higher fat meats such as red meat and pork, highly processed foods, sugary sweets and fried foods is helpful.”
2. Regular exercise
You should aim to have a total amount of 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of strenuous exercise per week. Moderate exercises can include brisk walking, light weight training, dancing and volleyball. Strenuous exercise can consist of running, heavy lifting, basketball and high-impact aerobics.
3. Quit smoking
If you smoke, it’s critical to stop. Quitting tobacco can be one of the best things you do for your health. It can be difficult to quit cold turkey, but there are support groups and tips on how to quit smoking to make quitting easier.
4. Healthy sleeping
The recommended amount of quality sleep is 7-9 hours per night. Having quality sleep not only helps you reduce the risk of heart disease and feel rejuvenated the next morning, but it also strengthens your immune system, improves mood regulation and speeds up metabolism.
5. Healthy weight
A recommended body mass index, or BMI, is between 18.5 and 25 kg/m². Maintaining a healthy weight also decreases the risks of Type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer.
Optimal blood pressure is <120/80 mmHg, but specific blood pressure control goals should be determined by your doctor. High blood pressure is considered a “silent killer” because most patients do not have symptoms. Even mildly elevated blood pressure that is not treated over the years can lead to heart disease.
7. Controlled blood glucose (blood sugar)
High levels of sugar can promote heart disease, as well as other problems. Managing this is important to prevent heart disease.
“Cholesterol is a large player in the development of heart disease. Managing the ‘bad’ cholesterol is very important to reduce the risk of cardiac events,” Dr. Bracewell said. “However, cholesterol is not always bad. There are different types of cholesterol: good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL and non-HDL cholesterol). HDL helps in the process to break down bad cholesterol. However, if the HDL is high and the LDL is high, it’s not enough to cancel out the cardiac risk.”
Early screening for risk factors, such as high blood pressure, along with cholesterol evaluation, can reduce the risk of heart failure. If you’re at higher risk of heart disease, your doctor may recommend a calcium score to evaluate the calcium deposits in your heart arteries. If you’re experiencing symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, it’s vital to complete a stress test to evaluate blockages in the arteries.
“If you’ve experienced a heart attack in the past, you should follow up with a cardiologist at least once per year to help reduce your risk of a repeat event happening in the future,” Dr. Bracewell said. “Taking your medications, practicing healthy lifestyle habits with regular exercise and eating healthy foods help to reduce your risk of another heart attack.”
Whether you have had a heart attack or stroke or just want to prevent one from happening, working on Life’s Essential 8 factors can help reduce your risk significantly. Additional testing may help you better understand your specific risk. Dr. Bracewell encourages you to see your physician and ask about your cardiac risk today!
References: