As you might have heard, February was heart month. A whole month dedicated to heart health. But is a month really long enough? Heart disease is the number one killer in America, with nearly 600,000 deaths annually attributed to some form of heart disease (that’s nearly 1 in every 4 deaths). Coronary heart disease (CHD, a disease where a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries restricting the flow of blood to the heart) is the most common, claiming nearly 380,000 lives annually. If you think flowers and dinner for Valentine’s Day can be pricey, the estimated yearly cost of CHD alone to the United States is $108.9 billion.
While February is often a month for love, here are some cold hard facts:
- Over 67 million Americans have high blood pressure, one of the three key heart disease risk factors according to the CDC.
- Overall, 49% of Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors.
- 720,000 Americans will have a heart attack this year, with almost 30% of those not being their first.
- A heart attack occurs every 34 seconds.
Even more frightening, heart disease is on the rise. Studies have suggested that by 2030, as much as 40% of the population in the United States will have some type of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Costs associated with all forms of heart disease are expected to triple by 2030, topping out at over one trillion dollars.
What can we do to help ensure that we don’t reach these levels of heart disease? The most immediate thing we can do is know the symptoms. There are several major warning signs of a heart attack (from the Center for Disease Control)
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms (it can occur in either arm), back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, lightheadedness, or cold sweats
If you think you or someone you are with is having a heart attack, call 911 and let them know what is going on. The operator will tell you what to do. Try to remain calm and know that help is on the way.
Knowing the symptoms is just the first step. While heart disease is a major phenomenon that is creeping it’s way through American society, there are steps we can take to fight back! With exercise, proper diet and stress management, it is possible to significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Here are some more in-depth tips.
Exercise
We don’t have to be told again how many benefits come with regular daily exercise. In my opinion, that sentence has become almost too automatic. What you need to know now are the specifics of what you will achieve by being physically active and exactly what you are putting at risk by not doing so. Namely, your health. The facts are that regular physical activity improves memory, increases blood circulation, keeps weight in check, improves cholesterol levels, prevents bone density loss, helps manage stress, improves sleep, establishes positive self image, reduces risk factors of many chronic diseases, and much more. Now read that sentence one more time to really get an idea of how exercise can benefit your life directly.
A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to increased death due to CHD. According to records kept by the American Heart Association, as many as 250,000 deaths that take place per year in the United States alone are due to lack of physical activity. This number should be a wake up call. Each step you take (literally) toward a healthier lifestyle takes you further away from being a part of these staggering statistics. And it is no secret that something needs to be done about these numbers, and soon.
An important factor of exercise is to know your target heart rate. Target heart rate is the pulse that you want to maintain and aim for during aerobic exercise to get the most cardiovascular benefit from your workout. This rate is typically between 65% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. To know your maximum heart rate, and target heart rate, you must first know your resting heart rate. Check out our earlier blog here to read a more detailed description of how to do this. Having the ability to determine your target heart rate will allow you to know if you are over-exercising or under-exercising. It is important to push yourself to the point of gains but not to the point of exhaustion or injury. Without tracking your heart rate and knowing your target heart rate, exercising within the proper range can be difficult.
According to the National Institute of Health the average resting heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute and between 40 and 60 for a well-trained athlete. The more often you workout in your target heart rate zone, the better trained, and more efficient, your heart will become. A lower resting heart rate is the sign of an efficient heart, as it can pump more blood with each beat; thus, keep your body functioning with less effort. There are many sources available to figure out your individual target heart rate zone- the American Heart Association being one of them.
The main point here is to get active. Workout to strengthen your body and heart. Sedentary behavior has been shown to have many adverse affects on health including increased chance of diseases, such as CVD. By starting a regular exercise regimen you are eliminating more than one risk factor associated with heart disease. While any activity is better than none, the best type of exercise for heart health is aerobic exercise. To go one step further, it is aerobic exercise that gets you into your target heart rate zone for a stretch of time. Taking 30 minutes a day to do cardio activity such as walking, jogging, rowing, cycling, jumping rope, swimming, etc. will strengthen your heart and lungs and put you on your way to breathing easier. If you are like me, and aren’t a fan of doing one aerobic activity for 30 min to an hour straight, try a circuit. We discussed circuit training in an earlier blog here, but the general idea of circuit training is variety. Keep it new, try different body weight and machine weight exercise, and keep moving to keep your heart rate up.
Diet
While exercise has huge benefits for your body and heart health, another important factor is your diet. It is crucial to realize you can workout as many hours in a day as you’re able to, but if you are not putting the proper nutrients into your body, you will not be receiving the same benefits. According to the American Heart Association, poor diet is the leading risk factor for death and disability in the United States. In 2010 an estimated 1 in 16 deaths from CVD were attributed to sodium intake and 1 in 8 of those deaths were before the age of 70. That is an upsetting statistic for something that can be changed by adding more fruits, vegetables, nuts/ seeds, and whole grain and eliminating the processed, high fat, high sodium foods.
I know what you’re probably thinking- this is easier said than done, as with most health activities. But it can be done, as long as you simply try. Resources for healthy eating can be found around every corner. Most grocery stores now even have “nutritionist choice” signs with certain foods and produce. You have the knowledge, or you know where to find it. The next step is putting that knowledge to action.
Here are some easy reference tips for your next grocery trip:
- Fill your cart with fresh fruits. Check here for best fruits & vegetables depending on the season!
- Focus on fiber- whole grains, beans, legumes, flaxseed, chia seed, and even more fruits and vegetables
- Get Green- spinach, broccoli, artichokes, brussels sprouts are among just some of the dark green leafy vegetables that will make your heart happy!
- Low-fat dairy products or try out soy!
- Hard to go wrong with seafood products- salmon, tuna, shrimp, just to name a few heart healthy foods from the water
- Lean meat- chicken and turkey both have endless healthy recipes that can be found to keep variety
And here are some quick recipe links to use at your disposal:
- Egg and avocado breakfast toast
- Various Salad recipes
- Tomato Basil Chicken
- Healthy Grilled cheese
- Chicken salad– the healthy way!
- Alfredo sauce– with cauliflower!
- Healthy dinner ideas
Bottom line: Think about what is going in your mouth before it’s there. Eat clean.
Limit: red meat intake, sodium intake, sugars and sweets, saturated fat, and trans fat. Eliminate: processed foods, fried food, heavy cream, simple carbohydrates, and artificial sugars.
As soon as you take these simple steps you will feel the difference, and make a difference on the longevity of your heart.
Stress Management (Lifestyle)
Research is ongoing to find out if there is a clear cut relationship between stress levels and heart disease. What is known is that stress can cause temporary increases in heart rate, due to your body naturally releasing adrenaline to deal with the stress. Adrenaline causes your breathing to quicken, your heart rate to spike, and blood pressure to rise. While this is a natural response, if you are in a permanent state of stress, your body will continue to release adrenaline, causing your heart to work overtime for days or even weeks.
As you can imagine, that is not a good thing. If you combine a consistent elevated heart rate with other contributing factors to heart disease such as obesity, high sodium or cholesterol, or lack of physical activity, the result is a large increase in the risk of a heart attack.
Stress affects each of us in different ways. Many of us find an outlet for stress, and often times they are not healthy. Stress can often lead to destructive actions- smoking, drinking, or binge eating, all which put our heart at risk. Add additional destructive behaviors to a mix that already includes detrimental behaviors, on top of an overworked heart and you can see how stress can be quite dangerous.
Healthy stress management is key to turning these fork in the road decisions into positive interactions. Instead of turning to cigarettes, alcohol, or food, go for a walk or run. Use the stress to fuel your workout. Meditation has been shown to lower heart rate and reduce anxiety. Close your eyes, breathe, and count to ten. Or practice some yoga when you can.
Leading an overall healthy lifestyle is also a great way to prevent stress breakdowns. If you already have health habits when it comes to your diet and physical exercise, you will be less likely to engage in dangerous activities when stress comes knocking.
Stress will come to us all at different points in our lives. That is something that we cannot always control. What we can control is how to handle stress when it does arrive. Making positive, healthy choices will help you deal with the stress, and not cause additional damage to your heart. And that is one less thing to stress about.
Conclusion
While heart disease is running wild in America, there are things that we can do to lower the chances that we will be affected. Start today! Start walking 4 times a week. Eat healthier everyday. Quit smoking. Be sure to get your blood pressure screened on a regular basis.
While it might only get emphasized one month a year, hearth health NEEDs to be an everyday occurrence. Take what you learned last month and make the changes. Let’s get our hearts back on track.