CARDIOBEAT Your Guide to Heart-Healthy Living
IN COOPERATION WITH
HEART DISEASE, DEFINED
Your Questions Answered EAT TO YOUR HEALTH! Smart Food Choices MOVE MORE Make Fitness a Habit TEAMWORK Treat Your Cardiac Condition Together
TAKE CHARGE Manage Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
* AWARENESS
Bring It Down! THERE ARE MANY STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE One in three adults — about 68 million Americans —
has high blood pressure (or hypertension). There are often no warning signs, so many people may be unaware that they have it. Having high blood pressure increases the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack.
BLOOD PRESSURE, DEFINED Blood pressure is a measure of how hard the blood pushes against the walls of your arteries as it moves through your body. It’s normal for blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day, but if it stays up, you have high blood pressure. Over time, elevated blood pressure can weaken your heart, blood vessels, kidneys and other parts of your body. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to lower your blood pressure. It’s important to work with your healthcare team to set your blood pressure goal — the consistent reading you’d like to see when your blood pressure is taken — and how you can best reach it. If you have coronary artery disease, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, managing high blood pressure is especially important. Your blood pressure consists of two numbers: systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure refers to the pressure of blood in the artery when the heart contracts. It is the top (and higher) number in a blood pressure reading. Diastolic blood pressure refers to the pressure of blood in the artery when the heart relaxes between beats. It is the bottom (and lower) number in a blood pressure reading. If a person’s systolic pressure is 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and the diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg, blood pressure is recorded as 120/80 and read as 120 over 80. A high blood pressure reading is 140/90 or higher. Adults should have a blood pressure of less than 120/80. Many people fall into the category in between, called prehypertension. If you fall within this category, you need to make lifestyle changes to reduce your blood pressure and help prevent or delay high blood pressure.
POTENTIAL CAUSES Though the exact cause of high blood pressure is not known in most cases, being very overweight, drinking alcohol in
excess, heredity, a high salt intake and getting older can raise blood pressure. Your blood pressure may also rise if you have a sedentary lifestyle, don’t consume enough potassium and calcium or you have a condition known as insulin resistance, in which blood sugar levels become abnormally high.
SYMPTOMS High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms, but very high blood pressure can cause headaches, vision problems, nausea and vomiting. Dangerously high blood pressure — called malignant high blood pressure — is a medical emergency.
DIAGNOSIS Most people find out that they have high blood pressure during a routine doctor visit. For your doctor to confirm that you have high blood pressure, it must be at least 140/90 on three or more separate occasions. It is usually measured one to two weeks apart. You may have to check your blood pressure at home if there is reason to think the readings in the doctor’s office aren’t accurate. White-coat hypertension is blood pressure that rises because you’re at the doctor’s office.
TREATMENT Treatment depends on how high your blood pressure is, whether you have other health problems such as diabetes, and whether any organs have already been damaged. Your doctor will also consider how likely you are to develop other diseases, especially heart disease. You can help reduce your blood pressure with lifestyle changes: Stay at a healthy weight or lose extra weight, reduce your salt intake, exercise regularly and cut back on drinking alcohol (two drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women). You may also need to take medication. Most people take more than one pill for high blood pressure. Work with your doctor to find the right pill or combination of pills that will cause the fewest side effects.
* CAREGIVERS
Teamwork TREAT EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR CARDIAC CONDITION TOGETHER When you are a cardiac patient, it’s important to work with a healthcare team with a variety of specialties and skills. Here are some of the trained experts most likely to be involved in your care.
CARDIOLOGIST A cardiologist has special training and skill in finding, treating and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels. A healthcare provider who feels that a patient might have a significant heart or related condition will often call on a cardiologist for help. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or dizzy spells often require special testing. Sometimes a cardiologist needs to evaluate heart murmurs or ECG changes. Cardiologists help those with heart disease return to a full, useful life and also counsel patients about the risks and prevention of heart disease. Most importantly, they are involved in the treatment of heart attacks, heart failure and serious heart rhythm disturbances. Their skills and training are required whenever decisions are made about procedures such as cardiac catheterization, balloon angioplasty or heart surgery.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT A physician assistant (PA) is a healthcare professional authorized by the state to practice medicine with a physician or group of physicians. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services, including conducting physical exams, obtaining medical histories, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting tests, counseling on preventive healthcare, assisting in procedures and prescribing medications. You may see a PA in the hospital admitting patients, performing hospital rounds, supervising stress testing or assisting the cardiologists in the cardiac catheterization lab and electrophysiology lab. They are trained and certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and can respond to cardiac emergencies as they arise. In the office setting PAs are trained to see stable cardiac patients as well as the acutely ill. They perform pre-operative clearance exams for non-cardiac surgery. They can perform consolation evaluations on new cardiac
patients. Cardiology PAs work as a team in collaboration with the cardiologist(s).
NURSE PRACTITIONER Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses with advanced education and clinical training to provide a wide range of preventive and acute healthcare services to patients of all ages. NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations, diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries), interpret laboratory results and X-rays, prescribe and manage medications and other therapies, provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance, and refer patients to other health professionals as needed.
REGISTERED NURSE Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members. RNs perform physical exams and health histories, and counsel and educate patients about their health. RNs may also administer medications, interpret patient information and make critical decisions about needed actions. Additionally, RNs coordinate care — in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals — and may direct and supervise care delivered by other healthcare personnel.
CLINICAL PHARMACIST Clinical pharmacists are the medication experts. They
provideCARDIAC medication recommendations to TREAT EVERY ASPECT routinely OF YOUR patients and healthcare professionals. CONDITION TOGETHER Clinical pharmacist researchers generate, disseminate and apply new knowledge that contributes to improved health and quality of life. They are a primary source of advice regarding the safe, appropriate and costeffective use of medications. They often collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals. In some states, clinical pharmacists are given prescriptive authority under protocol with a medical provider, and their scope of practice is constantly evolving.
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* NUTRITION
Eat to Your Health! SMART FOOD CHOICES CAN HELP LOWER YOUR HEALTH RISKS A healthy diet lowers your risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer and other problems. That’s why you need to understand how to incorporate healthy nutrition into your everyday life. Whether you’re interested in losing weight, managing a health condition or just feeling better about what you eat, here are ways to help you reach your goals.
HAVE HEALTHY OPTIONS ON HAND Focus on adding healthy food to your diet, rather than just taking unhealthy foods away. n Keep more fruits, low-fat dairy products, vegetables and whole-grain foods at home and at work. n Try to eat a family meal every day at the kitchen or dining table. This will help you focus on eating healthy meals. n Buy a healthy-recipe book, and cook for yourself. n Pack a healthy lunch and snacks for work. This allows you more control over what you eat. n Put your snacks on a plate instead of eating from the package. This helps you control how much you eat. n Don’t skip or delay meals, and be sure to schedule your snacks. If you ignore your feelings of hunger, you may end up eating too much or choosing an unhealthy snack. If you often feel too hungry, it can cause you to focus a lot on food. n Eat your meals with others when you can. Relax and enjoy your meals, and don’t eat too fast. Try to make healthy eating a pleasure, not a chore. n Drink water instead of high-sugar drinks (including high-sugar juice drinks).
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AVOID UNHEALTHY EATING Every day you make choices about what you eat and how much you eat. Your daily routine and environment may affect these choices. If you tend to skip meals when you get busy or you eat out frequently, note these tips on making better food choices. n Plan your meals. Write out a menu for several days at a time, and then make a grocery list for that menu. Post your menu on the refrigerator. n When possible, double a healthy recipe and freeze part of it to use for meals on busy nights. n Choose convenience foods wisely. Get prewashed salad mix, peeled baby carrots or frozen vegetables that you can microwave quickly. n Keep healthy snack foods on hand, such as fresh fruits, cut-up vegetables, yogurt and wholegrain crackers. n Plan your meals and snacks so you eat healthful foods, rather than waiting until you are hungry and grabbing something at the convenience store. n Try not to snack while watching TV, working at the computer, driving or making meals. You may end up eating when you aren’t hungry. n Find restaurants that feature heart-healthy items on their menus, and choose these items when possible. n If you eat fast food, order the smallest burger, such as the child-sized, instead of a double or triple burger. Go for healthy sides like fruit, salad or milk instead of French fries and soft drinks. n Eat smaller portions by sharing a meal or taking some food home. Restaurants often give you much larger portions than you need. n If you order fast foods, find ways to make these foods into a meal. For example, when you order a pizza, eat it at home with a salad, milk and fruit.
YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST. Keeping yourself well can be a full-time job. Especially when you have to do it on your own. That’s why we’re doing our best to help make it easier for you. Many Cigna Health Insurance benefits cover preventive care visits, routine screenings, and consultation at no extra cost to you. We’re Cigna — a health benefits and services company that doesn’t just help you get better, but stay that way. And we’re with you all the way. Learn more at cigna.com
Coverage for preventive care may vary depending on the terms of your medical plan. Please refer to your plan documents. Immunizations for travel are generally not covered. Health insurance plans and health benefits and services offered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, or their affiliates. Plans contain exclusions and limitations and are not available in all areas. This ad is not intended for New Mexico residents. 881387© 2014.
DID YOU KNOW 1 OZ. OF PEANUTS: Has 7g of Protein? Is a good source of Fiber* with 5g of Carbohydrates? *One ounce of peanuts provides 10% of the Daily Value for Fiber and contains 14g of fat per serving.
PEANUTS ARE ALSO HEART HEALTHY Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary disease.
Š 2014 Kraft Foods
H A R N E S S T H E P R O G R A M A N D S N AC K F O R S U C C E S S AT P O W E R O F T H E P E A N U T . C O M