Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, at least 58.8 million American suffer from heart disease of any form. Around 950.000 people die every year from cardiovascular causes. It is also a major cause of disability for the survivors. Even though increased age is a risk factor, it's a big misconception to think that heart disease only happens to the elderly. One out of every 20 people below the age of 40 has heart disease.

The good news is that there are many ways to prevent heart disease. Studies show that nearly everyone, even those with unmodifiable risk factors such as old age and racial background, can become more heart healthy by following a few key steps, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Quit Smoking

Smoking or tobacco use is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Even occasional social smoking increases the chance of getting heart disease, as is exposure to second-hand smoke. Pipe smoking or using low-tar, low-nicotine products does not reduce the risk by much. However, when you quit smoking, your heart disease risk drops dramatically within just one year. No matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

Exercise regularly

Try getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. You can break up your exercise time into three times 10 sessions. Casual activities such as gardening, housekeeping, and taking the stairs all count toward your total.

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can help protect your heart. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Limiting saturated and trans fat will also reduce your LDL cholesterol which plays an important role in the development of heart disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids is a type of polyunsaturated fat that decreases your risk of heart attack by lowering blood pressure and prevents irregular heart beats. Omega-3 is present in salmon, mackerel, flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. They can also be found in form of food supplements.

Moderate amount of alcohol, such as red wine can have a protective effect on your heart. Limit consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women.

Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain mostly consists of fat rather than muscle. Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10% can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes which in turn reduce your overall risk for cardiovascular diseases.

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is 25 or higher, you have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have. Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101 cm). Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88 cm).

Regular screening for heart disease risk factors

Check your blood pressure at least every 2 years starting from 18 years old. Check your cholesterol level every 5 years (more frequently if you are at an increased risk for heart disease) starting from 20 years old. Check your blood sugar level every five years (more frequently if you have other risk factors such as obesity or high blood pressure) starting from age 30 years old.

Screening Tests and Why They Are Important

Why screening tests are important

Screening tests helps to identify people with increased risk for a health disorder before they have symptoms or even realize they may be at risk. These laboratory tests are important because finding out early that you have or at risk to contract certain condition means you can take preventive measures.
 


Because a good screening test detects a disease in the earliest stages, it's most beneficial when you are tested for diseases that are both serious and treatable. A good screening must be able to correctly identify individuals who actually have a given disease, meaning that test is sensitive.

A positive screening test result often requires follow-up testing with a more specific test. This is to avoid 'false positive' in which a person without the given disease came out with a positive result.

"Screening tests are most beneficial to detect serious but treatable diseases."

Every year the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) publish a guidelines that contains recommendations pertaining to whom and when should these screening tests be performed. Below are a few examples:

hypertension screening begins at 18 years old

• Screening for high blood pressure in adults aged 18 and older.
• Both men aged 35 and older and women aged 45 and older who are not at increased risk for coronary heart disease are to be screened for lipid disorder.
• If they are at increased risk for coronary heart disease, screening for lipid disorder should start early at age 20 to 35 for men and age 20 to 45 for women
• Screening mammography for breast cancer detection in women aged 50 to 74 years, to be repeated every two years. 
• Screening for colorectal cancer using fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy in adults begins at age 50 and continuing until age 75. 
• Women aged 65 and older to be screened routinely for osteoporosis. In women who are at increased risk screening begin at age 60.
• Screening for type 2 diabetes in otherwise healthy adult with sustained blood pressure (either treated or untreated) greater than 135/80 mm Hg.

Not every laboratory tests are necessary. Don't go ballistic and ask your physician to put a check next to every single test on the lab form. Instead discuss with your doctor which screening tests that are right for you taking consideration of your age, gender, and other risk factors like family history of cancer, unhealthy lifestyle, etc. Also there are diseases in which screening tests are unnecessary and ineffective, such as lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer.