Keep Your Heart in Top Shape

As Americans prepare to celebrate all matters of the heart this Valentine's Day, physicians are encouraging adults to evaluate their cardiovascular health.

Despite advancements in treatment and an unprecedented understanding of the cause and prevention of heart disease, it continues to rank as the number one killer of American men and women today, according to a report published earlier this year by the American Heart Association.

In fact, the disease's major risk factors - high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and lack of physical fitness - can often be controlled, if not entirely reversed, by voluntary lifestyle changes.

Still, countless Americans, particularly women, fail to recognize the threat of heart disease and the life-saving advantages of working to understand and reduce personal risks.

According to a recent survey commissioned by the American Heart Association, less than half of all women reported having ever talked to their doctors about heart disease.

When dealing with a disease that offers few physical symptoms or warning signs, routine checkups and proactive heart health care are critical, said Dr. David Scheps, associate director of the University of Florida Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

"Sudden death is the initial manifestation of the disease," Scheps said. "Whatever anyone can do to understand or reduce their risks is helpful."

In honor of "American Heart Month" we asked Scheps, a UF professor of medicine, to outline the latest in heart disease prevention and what you can start doing, today, to protect yourself.

Know your numbers

Lipid levels:

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring nutrient in the body that's necessary for normal functioning and development. It's comprised of lipids, the fatty substances in our blood and body tissues. Too much cholesterol, or not enough of the "good" type, HDL, can cause damage to the arteries that leads to heart attack and stroke.

As a result, it's important to ask your physician for a lipid screen, a blood test that measures the cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Blood pressure:

Blood pressure, or the force pushing blood against the walls of the arteries, is measured with two numbers, the systolic (active) and diastolic (at rest) pressure. While "normal" and "high" numbers vary depending on an individual's needs, less than 120/80 is typically considered normal blood pressure. More than 140/90 is considered high blood pressure.

High blood pressure makes your heart pump harder and faster, which damages the arteries and can up your chances of cardiovascular disease.

Blood sugar:

A blood sugar test will help doctor's determine if you have diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease. Talk to your doctor about what levels are appropriate and which put you at greater risk.

Weight:

Carrying extra weight, especially around your midsection, puts you at risk for developing countless medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. Obesity and excess weight only compound stress on the arteries by contributing to elevated blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

To determine if you're at a healthy weight or not, you should measure your body mass index, or BMI, a calculation of your total body fat in relation to height. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. A BMI of less than 25 contributes to the prevention of heart disease.

Life-saving lifestyle changes

Quit smoking:

Beyond the myriad of lung and breathing problems associated with smoking, the habit also significantly increases a person's risk of heart disease. Nicotine can decrease oxygen to the heart, increase blood pressure, increase blood clotting and damage coronary arteries. Fortunately, the body can respond instantly to cessation.

According to the American Heart Association, after one year off cigarettes, the excess risk of coronary heart disease caused by smoking is reduced by half.

Increase activity:

According to the latest guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine, healthy adults, age 18 to 65, should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week.

Physical fitness reduces the risk of heart disease by promoting blood flow and aiding in weight management, which helps maintain blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

Relax:

Medical research published this year shows that acute and chronic anxiety can significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults.

Our bodies were designed to physically respond to psychological stress, Scheps said.

"It goes back to the primitive 'fight or flight' response, which allows us to perform better and more quickly when we need to," he said. When stressed, the body releases substances like adrenaline that are designed to redirect your blood flow to vital organs. As a result, your heart rate and blood pressure elevates.

"Too much for too long damages the arteries," he said. Prolonged stress can cause clotting which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

How you handle, or don't handle, stress can influence the physical effects of stress on the body

For example, those who demonstrate traits of "clinical hostility" - general anger, mistrust and aggression when under stress - were found to have higher incidences of Coronary Artery Disease, according to a study published by Scheps in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Those who suffer from clinical depression, a form of chronic stress, also have an increased risk of cardiac events, Scheps said.

Courtesy of Vanessa Garcia of the Gainesville Sun