HEA LT H
American Heart Month
BY: LINDSAY CUOMO
Managing Heart Health is a Lifelong Journey
H
eart health is often something many people think they don’t have to worry about until their later years. However, Sara McMillan, the cardiovascular accreditation and quality coordinator with Norman Regional Health System, tells a very different story.
“People think about heart disease as something they only have to worry about when they’re older,” McMillan said. “Your decisions from early in life can affect your heart health later in life. Even the foods you eat as a kid make an impact and developing good eating habits early on in life matters.” That’s her message to the young people she speaks to through Norman Regional’s educational outreach.
“Eating healthy, exercising, not smoking - those habits are so much easier if you start earlier.” While genetics do impact your risk, lifestyle choices are a significant contributing factor.
“Heart disease is the number one cause of death, not only in Oklahoma, but actually all across the nation. It is very important that we take care of ourselves,” explained interventional cardiologist Archana Gautam. “We Oklahomans need to make healthy lifestyle changes, and part of this starts with the diet.” Living in a landlocked state, many people do not automatically think to eat seafood to help fight heart disease, but Gautam said there is science to why people should.
“As a cardiologist, we try to educate our patients about unsaturated fats versus saturated fats – that is, good fats and bad fats,” Gautam said. “We want people to work on substituting bad fat with the good fat, and fish is a prime food source because it has Omega-3 fatty acids, which are the good fats.” McMillan also says that it’s never too late to make a difference. 44 | February 2020
“No matter your age, if you start changing your bad habits and living healthier, you can see results. Even if you’ve smoked all your life, there is a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, even in that first year.”
McMillan shared some key things people of all ages can do to reduce their risk of heart disease. She put an annual checkup with your primary care doctor as priority number one, even for those in their 20s and 30s. “It’s important to know your numbers, paying attention to blood sugar levels, cholesterols, your lipids,” McMillan advised. “So many young people are just naturally thin, but you could still be doing damage to your heart.” Second and not surprisingly, she suggested focusing on living a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and quality sleep. It’s easy in those early years to put sleep on the back burner, but you should try to get six to eight hours of sleep, McMillan said.
As the years progress, other health factors come into play. In your 40s and 50s, the body’s metabolism begins to slow down and stress levels tend to increase. McMillan said. People should pay attention to their body fat, learn how to manage stress and know the warning signs.
“Your risk naturally increases with age, especially for women after menopause,” she said. “Most of the time, heart disease is not sudden. People have warning signs and ignoring them can cause damage to their heart.”
Symptoms can include sudden shortness of breath, chest pain and nausea. However, symptoms can vary, especially for women.
