Heart Health & Heart Disease Prevention

By Cindy Williams, Rn

Coordinator, Health Ministries

Valentine’s Day has just passed, and February is American Heart Month, so this seems like a good time to focus on heart health.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One in four Americans die from heart disease. Many people are living with the limiting effects of heart disease for years before an early death from it. The monetary cost is staggering: roughly 422.3 billion dollars in direct and indirect costs between 2019 and 2020.

What is heart disease? The term heart disease covers a variety of conditions that include coronary artery disease, arrythmias, congenital heart defects, heart valve problems, and diseases of the heart muscle. By far the most common condition is coronary artery disease, which reduces blood flow to the heart.

People who smoke, have high blood pressure, and/or high blood cholesterol are at very high risk for heart disease. Other significant risk factors include being overweight or obese (risk increase of 36%), being physically inactive (30% increase), eating an unhealthy diet (13.2% increase), excessive alcohol use (72% increase), and having diabetes (9% increase). 

The good news about heart disease is that 80% of cases can be prevented. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn calls it a “paper tiger” in Forks Over Knives. Many of the risk factors are closely connected and influence each other. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Stop smoking (or never start).
• Avoid alcohol use.
• Add physical activity into your daily routine. Begin with 10 minutes of walking at a moderate pace and gradually add minutes.
• Add 1 or 2 servings of dark green vegetables to your meals each day. This simple change packs a punch nutritionally and will get you started on a path to a healthier diet.
• Work with your health care provider to control your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. You may need medications while working on lifestyle changes.

Resources

About Heart Disease | cdc.gov

Heart disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Risk Factors for Heart Disease (webmd.com)

Heart Disease: Risk Factors, Prevention, and More (healthline.com)