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CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASE PREVENTION
Topics
covered in this section include:
GENERAL / WOMEN
/ DIABETES / CHILDREN
/ HEART HEALTHY SUPPLEMENTS:
Dr.
Shawl talks about the importance of prevention in
Insight On The News
It's All In The Flow
explains the importance of drinking water and regular
check-ups.
Cardiovascular
disease remains the number one killer, still claiming
more lives than any other major cause of death. CVD
killed 931,108 Americans in 2001. CVD includes high-blood
pressure, coronary heart disease (heart attacks and
angina), congestive heart failure, stroke and congenital
heart defects. Coronary heart disease is the single
largest killer of Americans. The disease continues
to devastate women as it accounts for one in five
women's deaths. Stroke is the third leading cause
of death in the United States. Each year, about 700,000
people experience a new or recurrent stroke. About
500,000 of these are first strokes, and 200,000 are
recurrent. Stroke accounted for more than one of every
15 deaths in this country in 2001. Dr. Fayaz Shawl
says the body is like a car. To keep the engine running
requires periodic check-ups and regular servicing.
See me NOW to
prevent calling me later
Lowering
Your Risk of Heart Disease (Preventative Check-ups)
Prevention
of Cardiovascular Disease is important in diagnosing
early problems with your heart, brain (stroke) and
other conditions. The majority of patients come in
to the hospital when they are sick, without any prior
warning and often times, when it is too late. Therefore,
preventative check-ups are a necessity in order to
maintain your body's most vital organs. If you think
of your body as if it were a car - maintenance would
be a top priority. (After all, you wouldn't want break
down on the highway.) We all need to bring our body
in for regular checkups or "regular servicing" in
order to detect any malfunction. By detecting early
problems we can CURE most people with the proper treatment
and most importantly lifestyle changes (proper diet,
regular exercise, avoiding smoking, etc.)
In the United States, more than 60% of adults are
not regularly active and 25% are not active at all.
Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor
for the development of cardiovascular disease,
much like high cholesterol and high blood pressure
are independent risk factors. The proven benefits
of regular exercise are numerous;
- Reduces risk of early death from any cause
- Reduces risk of death from CVD (cardiovascular
diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes)
- Reduces risk of developing type II diabetes or "adult"
onset diabetes
- Helps control of blood glucose and body weight for
diabetes
- Helps control of abnormal lipid levels
- Reduces risk of high blood pressure (hypertension)
- Helps reduce blood pressure in hypertensive people
- Reduces the risk of colon cancer
- Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
- Helps control weight
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles
and joints
- Helps reduces pain of arthritis
- Helps reduce low back pain
Exercise can be of great value even if you do it on
a regular basis - at least three to four days a week.
A 10-minute walk a day will improve your fitness and
health a little. A 45-minute brisk walk every day
will improve your fitness and health a lot more. If
you have cardiovascular disease or you are at high-risk,
you should have your doctor recommend the very best
possible treatment. The minimum recommended physical
exercise and activity is a program that is moderately
challenging or difficult, such as walking, biking,
and swimming for at least 20-minutes each time. The
most beneficial amount of exercise to prevent illnesses,
including CVD is a program that is moderately challenging
for 6-7 days a week and for 40-60 minutes each time.
In addition, staying active several hours a week,
by participating in activities such as yard work,
house work, golf, bowling and other similar forms
of physical activity will be of great benefit to your
overall health.
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Who
should come in for a check-up?
- Men
age 40
- Women
(post-menopause)
- Children
whose parents have had cardiovascular disease before
the age of 55
In
addition to the above risk-factors, the following
list is the most important known causes leading to
cardiovascular problems, including blockages of the
arteries which nourish blood to the heart, brain,
kidneys, legs, and other vital organs.
- Smoking
- High
blood pressure
- High
cholesterol levels (the bad one - LDL)
- High
triglycerides and low HDL
- Diabetes
- Family
history (genetics)
Consult
your doctor for regular checkups and select a preventative
plan together. Should you wish to have our team consult
with you, contact our office.
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WOMEN
Women
and Heart Disease
Heart disease is the world's number one killer. It
is responsible for one in every three deaths. It affects
women and men with no respect for geography or economics.
While
heart disease has decreased in men, heart disease
has increased in women. Women
may not realize the higher risk for a heart attack
or stroke. In fact, heart disease is now the number
#1 killer for women in the U.S. That is why it is
so important to take action toward maintaining a healthy
heart.
Healthcare
professionals are now placing greater emphasis on
the research and treatment of women and heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association new published
guidelines (Feb. 2007), cardiovascular disease in
women is not just looked at from a short-term perspective
but on the women's lifetime heart disease risk. More
than 40% of women at age 50 in the U.S. will develop
cardiovascular disease during their lifetime.
But researchers say the danger is much greater for
people who have multiple risk factors for heart disease
by age 50.
It
is estimated that eight million American women
are now living with heart disease; six million
have had a heart attack and/or have had chest pain
according to updated data regarding women's heart
facts. In a recent study, women who were already diagnosed
with heart disease were "vastly under-treated" with
medication to improve their risk factors. The alarming
rise in coronary heart disease among women has provided
a "wake-up call" to the cardiovascular field. More
women die of heart disease each year than men,
yet women receive less modern treatment like angioplasty,
bypass surgery, etc. than men.
The
first-ever comprehensive lifetime risk assessment
for cardiovascular disease highlights the importance
of reducing risk early in life to prevent heart and
vascular disease later on. Cardiovascular disease
events included heart attack, angina, coronary heart
disease, stroke, and claudication (peripheral arterial
disease). Reducing risk means maintaining a healthy
weight, getting plenty of exercise, keeping cholesterol
levels and blood pressure under control, and not smoking.
In addition to reviewing the general guidelines for
heart disease prevention listed on our website, it
is particularly important for women to get a screening
before it is too late. To discuss your own risk
factors, including family history and life habits,
schedule an appointment today or call our offices
to learn how you can take a pro-active approach in
your heart health.
Consult
your doctor for regular checkups and select a preventative
plan together. Should you wish to have our team consult
with you contact our office.
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DIABETES
/ METABOLIC SYNDROME
The
Metabolic Syndrome is a group of risk factors that
put a person at high-risk for Cardiovascular Disease.
Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common
around the world. It is estimated that 20% of US adults
have it, while 30-40% of adults form Asia and Middle
East have this syndrome. If not diagnosed early, the
consequences are deadly.
Metabolic syndrome is identified by the presence of
three or more of these components.
- Central
obesity as measured by weight circumference. In
men, greater than 40 inches and in women greater
than 35 inches.
- Fasting
blood triglycerides greater than or equal to 150
mg/dl
- Blood
HDL cholesterol: In men, less than 40 mg/dl - and
in women, less than 50 mg/dl
- Blood
pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHG
- Fasting
glucose greater than or equal to 110 mg/dl (diabetes)
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The
safest, most effective and preferred way to reduce
metabolic syndrome is weight loss and increased physical
activity.
- Routinely
monitor body weight (especially the index for central
obesity), blood glucose, lipoproteins and blood
pressure)
- Treat
individual risk factors (hyperlipiderma, hypertension
and high blood glucose) according to established
guidelines
- Carefully
choose anti-hypertensive drugs
Consult
your doctor if you have metabolic syndrome and select
a preventative or treatment plan together. Should
you wish to have our team consult with you, contact
our office.
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CHILDREN
& ADOLESCENTS
Adolescents
should come in for a routine checkup, especially
if the parents have had cardiovascular disease before
the age of 55. High cholesterol in children also
plays a big factor in the child's development to a
heart-healthy lifestyle. The National Cholesterol
Education Program (NCEP) recommends the selective
screening of children and adolescents, targeting those
those who would be at the highest risk of developing
high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease later
in life. Screening is recommended for children
over two years of age and adolescents whose parents
or grandparents had cardiovascular disease before
the the age of 55. In addition, testing is also
advised for children whose parents have cholesterol
levels greater than 240 mg/dL. NCEP classifies a high
cholesterol as having a total cholesterol of over
200 mg mg/dl or low density lipoprotein cholesterol
(LDL) above 130 mg/dl
The initial treatment of high cholesterol involves
diet with institutions of the American Heart Association
Step 1 diet, which consists of less than 10% of total
calories from fat, and less than 300 mg of cholesterol
per day. If the lipid goals are not achieved, the
Step 2 diet is instituted. At this stage, a dietitian
may be helpful in developing good diet strategies.
Regular exercise is also recommended.
Consult
your doctor if you have metabolic syndrome and select
a preventative or treatment plan together. Should
you wish to have our team consult with you, contact
our office.
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HEART
HEALTHY SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamins
and herbs are unregulated in the U.S., so a manufacturer
can and will say almost anything to get you to buy
their products. Many vitamins, herbs and supplements
have sold under the pretense if preventing cardiovascular
disease. Most methods have not been tested thoroughly
by modern medicine.
The
most useful or beneficial that have been tested and
proved very useful in cardiovascular disease prevention
include:
-
Niacin (vitamin B-3)
- Folic Acid and vitamins B-6 & B-12
- Omega (n)-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
- Vitamin E and other Antioxidants (Vitamin C, A,
and Selenium)
Consult
your doctor if you have metabolic syndrome and select
a preventative or treatment plan together. Should
you wish to have our team consult with you, contact
our office.
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