3 vs. 7: Heart health factors you can and cannot control

BrandInsight Editor

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It is an equal opportunity killer that claims approximately one million lives annually.

“The good news? There are many known heart disease risk factors. Some risk factors can be controlled, but others cannot,” said Darlene Wortham, manager of Cardiac Rehab for Oklahoma Heart Hospital North Campus, one of the leading heart hospitals in the Midwest.

“Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family health history, having regular checkups and working with your physician to manage your health are all vital aspects of saving lives. However, understanding your risk factors for heart disease and how to handle them may save your life,” Wortham said. It’s a simple formula. “Three versus seven,” said Dave Schulz, manager of Cardiac Rehab for Oklahoma Heart Hospital South Campus. “There are three heart disease risk factors you cannot control — age, gender, and family history. Then, there are seven risk factors you can control.”

• Smoking – quit it.

• Inactivity – move it.

• Obesity – lose it.

• Diabetes – avoid it.

• Cholesterol – lower it.

• Hypertension – control it.

• Stress – deal with it. “Knowing and understanding your risk factors is huge because so many of the risk factors for heart disease are within a person’s ability to control or influence,” Schulz said.

Here are ways to take control:

Don’t ignore your (heart) numbers

Even if you look or feel fairly healthy, your body holds a lot of insight. Any doctor can check your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Oklahoma ranks second in deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Many people die not knowing they were at risk, because there were no warning signs. The Oklahoma Heart Hospital is dedicated to decreasing heart disease in Oklahoma and is offering HeartView CT for $50 to make this preventive screening accessible.

Oklahoma Heart Hospital HeartView CT, also called a calcium-score screening or heart scan, is a noninvasive way of obtaining information about the presence, location and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. This test can uncover potential heart disease years before symptoms occur. The test is fast and painless.

“Know your numbers and make sure they are within the normal range,” said Schulz.

These numbers can give you a good idea of your heart’s health, but some problems are hard to see.

“If you fall into any of the risk groups or experience discomfort, you should get your heart checked,” said Schulz.

Following a healthier lifestyle may be enough to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes in check. But if your health care provider prescribes you medication, take it and take it as prescribed.

“It may not be your favorite thing to do, but stick to your medications. They can prevent serious issues and protect your heart,” said Wortham.

Call 405-608-3635 to schedule a HeartView CT.

Get moving

Exercise reduces your risk of developing heart disease and can prevent existing heart disease from getting worse. It also lowers your risk of developing high blood pressure and can raise your high-density lipoprotein (HDL), “good” cholesterol, or lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), “bad” cholesterol. It helps with weight loss and is good for your physical and emotional well-being.

“However, it’s important that people are responsible while exercising. People should choose the appropriate form and level of exercise. Obviously, if you just had a heart attack you shouldn’t run a marathon, but you could start training for one over time if that’s what you want to do,” said Schulz.

In general, moderate exercise will do the trick. Walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes on most days of the week can help people reach the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

“If you are busy or not feeling well, don’t neglect exercise. Even shorter exercise routines result in heart benefits,” said Schulz.

“Consider joining a fitness center in your area or look at the hospital’s cardiovascular rehabilitation program if you experienced heart problems in the past,” Wortham added.

Those who have experienced heart disease should participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

The program at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital is a professionally supervised program to help people recover from heart attacks, heart surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures such as stenting and angioplasty.

“Cardiac rehab programs provide education and counseling services to help heart patients increase physical fitness, reduce cardiac symptoms, improve health and reduce the risk of future heart problems, including heart attacks,” Wortham said.

Heart-healthy eating

Unfortunately, some of the deaths related to heart disease in Oklahoma can be attributed to the number of Oklahomans who are overweight and obese, according to the Oklahoma County Health Department. The number of people who are obese in the state of Oklahoma has increased by 18.5 percent in the past 15 years. Roughly 31 percent of Oklahomans are classified as obese. Obesity is associated with heart disease, according to the Health Department. Healthy eating is a way to change this.

“Eating heart-healthy does not mean you don’t get delicious food. You just want to go for the right food. You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy,” said Ruth Adamiec, dietitian for Oklahoma Heart Hospital. “Nutrient-rich foods have minerals, protein, whole grains and other nutrients but are lower in calories. They may help you control cholesterol and blood pressure.”

Limit saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat and sweets.

The Oklahoma Heart Hospital is offering cooking classes and other educational opportunities for patients. Moreover, nutritionists are available for established patients who have high cholesterol, diabetes or kidney disease.

February is Heart Health Month. Take the opportunity to care for yourself or share strategies for preventing heart disease with others, encouraging those around you to have their hearts checked and commit to heart-healthy lifestyles.

For more information, visit www.okheart.com.

This story is sponsored by the Oklahoma Heart Hospital.