Heart Health:Tips to keep it healthy;
By Catherine Winters
:: //-->REMEDY Winter 2007
Look around: Whether you’re standing in line at the grocery store or celebrating the holidays with relatives and friends, chances are, someone nearby has or is at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the United States, almost 80 million people have CVD, and many more are at risk of developing it: An estimated 72 million people aged 20 and older have high blood pressure, and 105 million have high cholesterol.While these numbers are scary, take heart: It’s never too late to dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease. In a four-year survey of nearly 16,000 people aged 45 to 64, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, found that those who overhaul their exercise, eating and smoking habits reduce their incidence of CVD by 35 percent and their risk of death by all causes by 40 percent. What did it take? Participants in the study adopted four healthy behaviors:
Eating five or more fruits and vegetables per day
Exercising at least two and a half hours per week
Maintaining a healthy body weight
Not smokingThe sooner you make changes like these, the better—and the New Year is a great time to start. “The New Year is a period when people do some self-evaluation and look at their lives a little differently,” says psychologist Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., director of the UMBC Habits Lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “We have moments of opportunity in life, and this is one of them.”How Risks Add UpIf left unchecked, heart disease makes its presence known by your 50s, or earlier. “But in truth, the whole process of heart disease starts silently, in the late teenage years,” says Jennifer Mieres, M.D., director of nuclear cardiology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA).Risk factors include family history of heart disease, getting older, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, excess weight or obesity, being sedentary, type 2 diabetes, stress, and overconsumption of alcohol.While you can’t do anything about your genes or age, you can—and should—take action to reduce other risk factors. Why? Consider the toll they take over time:
High cholesterol promotes buildup of artery-clogging plaque, which restricts blood flow to your heart.
High blood pressure forces the heart to pump harder, which can make arteries stiff, further restricting blood flow.
The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damages the insides of arteries and increases clotting. Smokers’ risk of developing CVD is two to four times greater than that of nonsmokers.
Excess weight makes the heart work harder, may raise blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosts one’s risk of type 2.
Being sedentary increases one’s risk of excess weight, as well as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The high levels of blood glucose associated with type 2 can damage the lining of blood vessels.
Chronic stress can boost blood pressure and lead to overeating or smoking.
Excessive alcohol use may raise blood pressure and triglycerides. Heavy drinkers often smoke or overeat, too.7 Ways To Make A ChangeThe biggest challenges for many people are getting started and then sticking to a heart-healthy routine (see “How Habits Are Formed”). You are more apt to stick to a routine, says DiClemente, if it is acceptable, accessible and effective.What doesn’t work? Vowing to run for two hours each day when your schedule won’t allow it, or trying to eat so little that you end up feeling famished.The first plan is not accessible; the second is ineffective in the long run. What does work? Walking 30 minutes per day at first, then gradually increasing your exercise time, or working with a nutritionist, so you learn how to cut calories without sacrificing nutrition or leaving your stomach to grumble.As these behaviors become routine and you see results, you will be motivated to bump up your exercise regimen and cut even more calories. “The moment you change eating habits and start exercising, the moment you stop smoking, the moment you make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are healthy—that’s the moment you affect your risk of cardiovascular disease,” says Richard Stein, M.D., the director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and a spokesperson for the AHA. Here are the AHA’s seven steps to reclaiming your heart health:1. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Limit your consumption of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. Consume less than 1 percent of calories from trans fats. Limit dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams (mg) per day.2. Eat fish twice a week.The best choice is an oily fish, such as mackerel or salmon, which is high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.3. Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day for women, no more than two drinks per day for men. Despite the benefits of small amounts of alcohol that have been noted in the media, overindulgence can have serious negative consequences.4. Watch your sodium (salt) intake—it can contribute to high blood pressure. Have no more than 2,300 mg a day (that’s a bit less than a teaspoon).5. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity, such as brisk walking, five or more days per week. If you need to shed pounds or maintain weight loss, strive for 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise.6. Control your weight with a combination of sensible eating and physical activity. Aim for a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 and a waist circumference of less than 35 inches if you’re a woman, less than 40 inches if you are a man.7. Learn to manage stress.Carve out time to unwind. Do yoga. Meditate. Get a massage. Participate in a group activity or hobby. Find time for yourself. Whatever you do, be sure that you take time each day to breathe deeply and think peaceful thoughts.You, Too, Can Choose To Move!Sign up for Choose to Move at choosetomove.org, and for 12 weeks the American Heart Association will email you exercise tips, nutritional advice and an assessment of your heart-health. On the site, you’ll find advice, motivation and walking buddies. It works: A group of seven participants lost a total of 60 pounds and lowered their blood pressure. One woman cut her cholesterol level by 86 points!
:: //-->REMEDY Winter 2007
Look around: Whether you’re standing in line at the grocery store or celebrating the holidays with relatives and friends, chances are, someone nearby has or is at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the United States, almost 80 million people have CVD, and many more are at risk of developing it: An estimated 72 million people aged 20 and older have high blood pressure, and 105 million have high cholesterol.While these numbers are scary, take heart: It’s never too late to dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease. In a four-year survey of nearly 16,000 people aged 45 to 64, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, found that those who overhaul their exercise, eating and smoking habits reduce their incidence of CVD by 35 percent and their risk of death by all causes by 40 percent. What did it take? Participants in the study adopted four healthy behaviors:
Eating five or more fruits and vegetables per day
Exercising at least two and a half hours per week
Maintaining a healthy body weight
Not smokingThe sooner you make changes like these, the better—and the New Year is a great time to start. “The New Year is a period when people do some self-evaluation and look at their lives a little differently,” says psychologist Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., director of the UMBC Habits Lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “We have moments of opportunity in life, and this is one of them.”How Risks Add UpIf left unchecked, heart disease makes its presence known by your 50s, or earlier. “But in truth, the whole process of heart disease starts silently, in the late teenage years,” says Jennifer Mieres, M.D., director of nuclear cardiology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA).Risk factors include family history of heart disease, getting older, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, excess weight or obesity, being sedentary, type 2 diabetes, stress, and overconsumption of alcohol.While you can’t do anything about your genes or age, you can—and should—take action to reduce other risk factors. Why? Consider the toll they take over time:
High cholesterol promotes buildup of artery-clogging plaque, which restricts blood flow to your heart.
High blood pressure forces the heart to pump harder, which can make arteries stiff, further restricting blood flow.
The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damages the insides of arteries and increases clotting. Smokers’ risk of developing CVD is two to four times greater than that of nonsmokers.
Excess weight makes the heart work harder, may raise blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosts one’s risk of type 2.
Being sedentary increases one’s risk of excess weight, as well as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The high levels of blood glucose associated with type 2 can damage the lining of blood vessels.
Chronic stress can boost blood pressure and lead to overeating or smoking.
Excessive alcohol use may raise blood pressure and triglycerides. Heavy drinkers often smoke or overeat, too.7 Ways To Make A ChangeThe biggest challenges for many people are getting started and then sticking to a heart-healthy routine (see “How Habits Are Formed”). You are more apt to stick to a routine, says DiClemente, if it is acceptable, accessible and effective.What doesn’t work? Vowing to run for two hours each day when your schedule won’t allow it, or trying to eat so little that you end up feeling famished.The first plan is not accessible; the second is ineffective in the long run. What does work? Walking 30 minutes per day at first, then gradually increasing your exercise time, or working with a nutritionist, so you learn how to cut calories without sacrificing nutrition or leaving your stomach to grumble.As these behaviors become routine and you see results, you will be motivated to bump up your exercise regimen and cut even more calories. “The moment you change eating habits and start exercising, the moment you stop smoking, the moment you make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are healthy—that’s the moment you affect your risk of cardiovascular disease,” says Richard Stein, M.D., the director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and a spokesperson for the AHA. Here are the AHA’s seven steps to reclaiming your heart health:1. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Limit your consumption of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. Consume less than 1 percent of calories from trans fats. Limit dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams (mg) per day.2. Eat fish twice a week.The best choice is an oily fish, such as mackerel or salmon, which is high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.3. Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day for women, no more than two drinks per day for men. Despite the benefits of small amounts of alcohol that have been noted in the media, overindulgence can have serious negative consequences.4. Watch your sodium (salt) intake—it can contribute to high blood pressure. Have no more than 2,300 mg a day (that’s a bit less than a teaspoon).5. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity, such as brisk walking, five or more days per week. If you need to shed pounds or maintain weight loss, strive for 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise.6. Control your weight with a combination of sensible eating and physical activity. Aim for a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 and a waist circumference of less than 35 inches if you’re a woman, less than 40 inches if you are a man.7. Learn to manage stress.Carve out time to unwind. Do yoga. Meditate. Get a massage. Participate in a group activity or hobby. Find time for yourself. Whatever you do, be sure that you take time each day to breathe deeply and think peaceful thoughts.You, Too, Can Choose To Move!Sign up for Choose to Move at choosetomove.org, and for 12 weeks the American Heart Association will email you exercise tips, nutritional advice and an assessment of your heart-health. On the site, you’ll find advice, motivation and walking buddies. It works: A group of seven participants lost a total of 60 pounds and lowered their blood pressure. One woman cut her cholesterol level by 86 points!
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