HEALTH
b e t t e r
t h e w a y t o
live
By now you’ve figured out that your actions—the choices you make throughout each
day—determine your heart health and that of your family. The most damaging choice:
smoking. “You’re a ticking time bomb if you smoke,” says Dr. Elizabeth Klodas,
cardiologist. “Smoking thickens the blood and makes the blood vessels less likely to
expand.” There are some risk factors beyond your control—family history, age, and
race—that may require a doctor’s prescription to keep plaque at bay. But many risk
factors are totally within your control. Opt for these healthy everyday choices.
red u ce y o u r risk
> > the new basics
R E L A A A X
Meditation not only relieves
stress but reduces heart
attacks when practiced daily.
The results of a nine-year
study of people with heart
disease showed a 47 percent
reduction in death, heart
attacks, and strokes among
those who practiced
Transcendental Meditation.
IN V O L V E O T H E R S
Push for change beyond your
family and help change the
heart health of your entire
community. After educating
71,000 residents about heart
disease, the Pawtucket, Rhode
Island, Heart Health Program
saw a 16 percent decrease in
the disease.
D E C R E A S E P R E S S U R E
Of the controllable risk factors
related to heart disease, blood
pressure makes a huge
difference. If your reading is
less than 120/80 mm Hg, you’re
in good shape. If you’re
120-139 mm Hg systolic or
80-89 mm Hg diastolic,
lifestyle changes, such as
additional exercise,
may help. If you’re above
140/90, medications may
be needed. Be sure to make a
note of your blood pressure
when you visit your doctor.
Some pharmacies also offer
blood pressure screening.
W A IS T A W A Y
Skip the scale and grab a
measu ri ng tape. Your waist
should be less than half your
height to keep heart disease
at bay. For example, if you’re
60 inches tall, your waist
should measure less than 30
inches. Carrying your fat
around your midsection is
linked to high triglyceride and
cholesterol levels, and an
increased risk for diabetes.
D O M O R E D
A deficiency of vitamin D
has been associated with
cardiovascular disease, but
there’s not enough evidence
to show it causes the problem.
Even so, ask your doctor to
check your levels. Food
sources of vitamin D include
milk, salmon, and some
fortified cereals. To get the
vitamin from the sun, soak up
10 to 15 minutes of it between
10 a.m. and 3 p.m. twice weekly.
M A N A G E D IA B E T E S
Sixty-five percent or more of
those with diabetes die of
cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes combined with other
risk factors, such as obesity
and inactivity, often creates a
lethal environment for your
heart. People with diabetes are
two to four times more likely
to have cardiovascular disease.
C O U N T S H E E P
Aim for seven to eight hours
of sleep each night for the
best heart health. Too little
sleep (five hours or less)
and too much (nine hours
or more) negatively impact
your blood pressure and
stress hormones.
step in for screening
*
I
A new test called
myocardial contrast echocardiography
makes it easier to diagnose subtle symptoms of heart
disease. The noninvasive test is relatively inexpensive
compared to traditional tests. When used with a technique
called perfusion imagery, cardiologists “see things we
couldn’t see before, such as blockages in smaller arteries,”
says Dr. Monique G. Smith, assistant professor, internal
medicine section of cardiology at the Nebraska Medical
Center in Omaha. If you have risk factors, such as a family
history of heart disease, or symptoms—shortness of breath,
pressure in your chest, neck, or jaw—see your doctor.
for heart disease
within a year after
quitting smoking.
If you’re post-
menopausal and have
a history of chest pain,
heart attack, or stroke,
drop your risk 25% by
taking a daily aspirin.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
FEBRUARY 2010
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