Preventive Steps - Dr Yee Kok Meng

If you're between 40 to 75 years old, and have never had a heart attack or stroke, please visit https://ccccalculator.ccctracker.com and use the Check. Change. Control. Calculator to evaluate your risk of having a cardiovascular event in the next 10 years. There are certain factors which can increase your risk, such as smoking, kidney disease or a family history of early heart disease. Knowing your risk factors can help you reduced the risks with an improved lifestyle changes.

One of the best things you can do for your heart is to stop smoking or using smokeless tobacco. Even if you’re not a smoker, be sure to avoid second-hand smoke.

Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels. Cigarette smoke reduces the oxygen in your blood, which increases your blood pressure and heart rate because your heart has to work harder to supply enough oxygen to your body and brain.

There’s good news though. Your risk of heart disease starts to drop in as little as a day after quitting. After a year without cigarettes, your risk of heart disease drops to about half that of a smoker. No matter how long or how much you smoked, you’ll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

Regular, daily physical activity can lower your risk of heart disease. Physical activity such as brisk walking can help you to control your weight and reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

If you haven’t been active for a while, pace yourself as you may need to slowly work your way up to these goals, but in general, you should aim for at least:

• 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, such as walking at a brisk pace
• 75 minutes a week of vigorous activity, such as running
• Two or more strength training sessions in a week

Even shorter bouts of activity offer heart benefits, so if you can’t meet those guidelines, don’t give up. Just five minutes of moving can help, and activities such as gardening, housekeeping, taking the stairs and walking the dog all count toward your total. You don’t have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.

A healthy diet can help protect your heart, improve your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. A heart-healthy eating plan includes:

• Vegetables and fruits
• Beans or other legumes
• Lean meats and fish
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods
• Whole grains
• Healthy fats, such as olive oil

In your daily diet, remember to limit the intake of the following:

• Salt
• Sugar
• Processed carbohydrates
• Alcohol
• Saturated fat (found in red meat and full-fat dairy products) and trans fat (found in fried fast food, chips, baked goods)

Being overweight, especially around your middle, can increases your risk of heart disease. Excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of developing heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Waist circumference also can be a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have. Your risk of heart disease is higher if your waist measurement is greater than:

• 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm) for men
• 35 inches (88.9 cm) for women

One way to ensure if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI), which uses your height and weight to determine whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. A BMI of 25 or higher is considered overweight and is generally associated with higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 3% to 5% can help decrease certain fats in your blood (triglycerides), lower your blood sugar (glucose) and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Losing even more helps lower your blood pressure and blood cholesterol level.

A lack of sleep can do more than leave you yawning; it can harm your health. People who don’t get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression.

Most adults need at least a solid seven hours of sleep each night. Make sleep a priority in your life. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it by going to bed and waking up at the same times each day. When you get older, you actually need more sleep as our bodies regenerate at a much slower.

If you feel like you’ve been getting enough sleep but you’re still tired throughout the day, ask your doctor if you need to be evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that can increase your risk of heart disease. Signs of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, stopping breathing for short times during sleep and waking up gasping for air. Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea may include losing weight if you’re overweight or using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device that keeps your airway open while you sleep.

Stress may affect behaviors and factors that increase heart disease risk: high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating. Some people may choose to drink too much alcohol or smoke cigarettes to “manage” their chronic stress, however these habits can increase blood pressure and may damage artery walls. A stressful situation sets off a chain of events. Your body releases adrenaline, a hormone that temporarily causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure to rise.

Finding alternative ways to manage stress such exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, not drinking too much coffee, enjoying a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are good ways to deal with stress can help improve your health.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

• Blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screenings usually start in childhood. Starting at age 18, your blood pressure should be measured at least once every two years to screen for high blood pressure as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
  If you’re between 18 and 39 and have risk factors for high blood pressure, you’ll likely be screened once a year. People age 40 and older also are given a blood pressure test annually.
• Cholesterol levels. Adults generally have their cholesterol measured at least once every four to six years. Cholesterol screening usually starts at age 20, though earlier testing may be recommended if you have other risk factors, such as a family history of early-onset heart disease.
• Type 2 diabetes screening. Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease. If you have risk factors for diabetes, such as being overweight or having a family history of diabetes, your doctor may recommend early screening. If your weight is normal and you don’t have other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, screening is recommended beginning at age 45, with retesting every three years.

Regular health screening will allow you to detect early if you are having these conditions. It will allow your doctor to work out an appropriate healthy lifestyle plan for you to manage these conditions at an early stage. Many conditions can be prevented or managed by eating better, getting active, losing weight and quitting tobacco.

If you have a health condition, your doctor may prescribe statins or other medications to help control cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. Take all medications as directed. But don’t take aspirin as a preventive measure unless your doctor tells you to. If you’ve never had a heart attack or stroke, a daily aspirin may not help you at all and could cause problems including risk of bleeding. If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, your doctor may want you to take a low dose of aspirin to reduce your risk of having another.

Lastly, be a TEAM PLAYER. Your cardiologist can help you reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke to live a longer, healthier life. Work together on your prevention plan by asking questions and be open about any challenges you may face in trying to make healthy changes. Stress, sleep, mental health, family situations, tobacco use, food access, social support and other issues all can affect your health and well-being.