Treating and preventing heart disease

Brought to you by - Ryan Wilson, MD, interventional and structural heart cardiologist at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center

Now that the holidays are over and people are getting back into their regular routines, it’s time to focus on Heart Month, which is observed each February. The importance of heart health cannot be understated since heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in the United States each year. In 2020, nearly 700,000 people died from heart-related diseases. That is more deaths than all cancers combined or COVID-19 related illnesses. Heart disease is a largely preventable problem in many circumstances.

Prevention is always our primary focus when it comes to heart disease. Your risk of heart-related disease can be significantly reduced if you focus on some of these key areas in your life:

• Don’t smoke, and if you do smoke or use other tobacco products, seriously consider quitting. This is one of the most serious risk factors. If you are ready to quit, please contact your healthcare provider for assistance. There are patches, gums and medications that can help you quit.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Reducing your weight into a healthy category can significantly lower your risk of heart disease.

• Maintain a healthy blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, follow up with your healthcare provider regularly to make sure this is controlled. If you don’t have high blood pressure, get checked intermittently.

• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels and a low-fat diet. If you have high cholesterol already, make sure you are getting regular blood work to ensure your treatment is working. If you don’t have high cholesterol, continue to focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle. Try to avoid fried foods with lots of butter, fat and grease, which is where a lot of cholesterol comes from.

If you already have heart disease, it’s important to follow up regularly with your cardiologist to ensure we are doing everything possible to minimize the progression of disease and prevent any major problems like a heart attack or stroke. Heart disease can often be managed with medications and lifestyle modifications. If you ever have symptoms such as ongoing chest pain/ pressure, new onset of significant shortness of breath, excessive sweating or nausea associated with chest pain or shortness of breath, severe dizziness or heart racing (palpitations), call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department immediately.

If you have more mild symptoms, you should contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to get diagnostic testing done. If you are ever in doubt, check it out.

Dr. Ryan Wilson is a cardiovascular disease specialist with Wellstar Health System. He specializes in heart and vascular interventions and treats patients with structural heart and valve conditions. To make an appointment with Dr. Wilson at his office on the campus of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, call (770) 410-4520. To make an appointment at his office at Wellstar Avalon Health Park, call (470) 267-0430.