Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women across racial and ethnic groups. In 2023, 919,032 people in the United States died from cardiovascular disease, which translates into 1 in every 3 deaths.
The financial cost of heart disease is staggering, as well. In 2020 and 2021, it cost some $417.9 billion, including health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.
At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman diagnose and treat all manner of heart disease, from atrial fibrillation to chest pain to coronary artery disease (CAD). They don’t want you to become a statistic, so in this month’s blog, they’re addressing ways you can help protect your heart this winter.
Here are 5 good ways to protect your heart this winter and year-round.
High blood pressure (hypertension) puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, leading causes of death in the United States. In 2023, hypertension was either a primary or contributing cause of 664,470 deaths in the US.
Blood pressure is the force your blood exerts on the walls of the arteries, the conduits that take oxygen-rich blood from the heart and deliver it to the body’s tissues. The top number (systolic) represents the force it exerts when your heart is beating. The bottom number (diastolic) represents the force it exerts when your heart is between beats.
Normal blood pressure is considered 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury)/80 mm Hg or lower. When the systolic, diastolic, or both increase above those amounts, you’re said to have elevated blood pressure. A reading of 180/90 is a hypertensive crisis; you need immediate medical attention.
High blood pressure produces no symptoms until you hit a crisis, so it’s important to get periodic measurements. You can come into Northwest Houston Heart Center, or you can purchase an at-home unit at most pharmacies to track your numbers.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs to make hormones and vitamin D, build cell membranes, and digest food.
Cholesterol is produced in the liver, which makes enough to satisfy your body needs and removes excess amounts. The problem with high cholesterol comes from the foods you eat; it’s found in foods from animal sources, including meat, egg yolks, poultry, and dairy products.
Foods high in fat can increase the cholesterol level in your blood. If there's too much, your liver can't remove it all, and your blood levels rise.
There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), aka “bad” cholesterol, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein), aka “good” cholesterol.
Having too much LDL increases your risk for coronary artery disease and other heart diseases. The LDL leads to the buildup of a sticky plaque on the artery walls, a condition known as atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries.” The plaque can narrow the artery’s diameter, or even completely block flow, so parts of your body don’t receive enough blood.
Like hypertension, high cholesterol produces no symptoms, so you need to get a blood test with a lipid panel to learn your numbers. Most primary care doctors do this at your annual physical.
Excess weight makes the heart work harder, raises blood pressure, raises blood cholesterol levels and triglycerides (another type of fat), and lowers HDL cholesterol. It also increases your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
If you’re able to achieve a 3-5% drop in weight, it results in clinically meaningful improvements in blood glucose and triglyceride levels and lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Losing 5-10% can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall blood cholesterol.
Aerobic exercise improves circulation, which lowers both blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, it increases your overall aerobic fitness and helps your heart pump more effectively. In addition, aerobic exercise reduces your risk for type 2 diabetes and helps diabetics control their blood glucose.
You should aim for at least 30 minutes a day of heart-pumping physical activity at least 5 days a week. Try brisk walking, swimming, cycling, running, or playing tennis. If you have joint pain, cycling, swimming, and yoga can prove helpful.
Prolonged elevation of the stress hormone cortisol increases blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Someone living with chronic stress may have chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Try deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to reduce your stress levels.
Want more tips on how to protect your heart? Northwest Houston Heart Center can help. Give us a call at any of our locations (Tomball, Cypress, Magnolia, and The Woodlands, Texas), or book online today. You can also text us at 832-402-9518.
