HEALTHY HABITS AND CARDIAC SCREENING KEY TO HEART HEALTH

BY DEBORAH STANUCH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES MOORE

HEART DISEASE, OFTEN CALLED THE SILENT KILLER, IS THE NO. 1 CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG MEN AND WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH ONE PERSON DYING EVERY 36 SECONDS FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL.

Heart disease affects men and women differently. While men have a higher rate of heart attacks at a younger age, heart disease is most common and more deadly among older women.

Knowing your personal health and having a relationship with a family provider is vital to maintaining overall good health and identifying health issues and disease early. If you don’t have a family doctor, it’s important to establish that relationship advises Jonny Harvey, Occupational Health Coordinator at Baxter Regional.

A Coronary Calcium Screening, available at Baxter Regional, which helps detect heart disease, is recommended for men over 40 and women who are over 45 or postmenopausal. The test checks for calcium buildup in the walls of the coronary arteries, which is a sign of heart disease. It is especially important for those with a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, history of tobacco use, are sedentary or overweight. It detects heart disease in those who do not have symptoms and provides information on personal heart health and risks for heart disease.

“A healthy lifestyle is key to maintaining a healthy heart or regaining heart health after a serious cardiovascular event,” says Harvey. “Following a heart attack, heart failure, heart surgery or angioplasty, small changes can have a huge effect on heart health. For example, when you quit using tobacco and nicotine products, you start to see health benefits immediately. Those small changes can help maintain a healthy heart.”

Harvey strongly recommends cardiac rehabilitation, available at Baxter Regional, to improve heart health following a serious cardiac event. The program uses medically supervised physical therapy and patient education. “It’s the individualized medical supervision that sets Cardiac Rehab apart from doing it on your own or with a personal trainer. The program starts at a low pace, monitors the body’s reaction, provides reports to the primary physician and develops an exercise program specific to the patient.

“It’s important to maintain a healthy body weight. It’s the biggest risk factor to heart health and hypertension,” says Harvey.

“The key is, of course, a healthy diet and exercise. Simply put, it’s calories in, calories out.”

Exercise will help maintain good health and avoid a cardiovascular event, according to Harvey. He recommends 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day like a brisk walk or riding a stationary bike, whatever increases your heart rate.

“Diet is a huge issue in the United States, especially in the South where we enjoy fried foods and sweet tea, but it’s never too late to start eating healthy.”

A mostly plant-based diet, recommended by Harvey and medical experts, reduces the risk of heart disease as well as the risk of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

The focus is on eating mostly fresh vegetables, fruit, high-protein legumes and whole grains, and less on meat and animal products like fats, dairy and eggs.

“Essentially, animal products aren’t optimal for heart health. When choosing red meat, make sure it is lean and low fat. Fish and chicken are better choices than red meat like beef and pork.

“You don’t have to avoid dairy; just avoid high fat dairy like whole milk, cream, butter and processed cheese. Cheese can actually be a beneficial part of a healthy diet. It offers good protein, vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and vitamin D, but it also tends to be quite dense in calories and sodium. Unripened, low fat, low sodium cheeses such as mozzarella and goat cheese are best; blue, feta, cheddar, ricotta, Swiss, cottage and cream cheeses are fine in moderation. Just make sure you’re eating real cheese instead of processed cheese like American cheese, processed spreads and cheese in a can.

“Eggs are quite healthy for us. They are a great source of vitamins, minerals and protein, so one or two eggs a few times a week is fine. What is important is healthy preparation such as boiling, poaching or pan-frying with cooking spray instead of frying in oil and bacon grease.”

Be aware of salt, sugars and fats in your diet, cautions Harvey. “That’s why it is important to read labels. Ketchup, peanut butter and yogurt aren’t bad foods but can contain hidden sugars, and processed food often has excessive amounts of salt and saturated fat. Honey, especially local honey is an alternative to processed sugar. Saturated fats, like butter, margarine, coconut oil and lard can be replaced with healthy fats like olive oil and avocados.”

Alcoholic beverages contain hidden calories and are fine in moderation, but excessive use can damage health and lead to dependency.

“Moderation is key to a healthy diet and lifestyle. We can have that slice of cake, juicy steak, cheeseburger or beer. It’s just a matter of moderation.”