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Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention
Risk Factors For Heart Disease
Coronary artery disease causes roughly 1.5 million heart attacks each year, and one-third of those suffering
heart attacks die. Even more worrisome, 250,000 people with heart attacks will die before ever reaching
the hospital. Because heart disease is so common and often silent until it strikes, it is important to
recognize the factors that put you at risk.
What Are the Risk Factors for Heart Disease?
There are several risk factors for heart disease; some are controllable, others are not.
Uncontrollable risk factors include:
- Male sex.
- Older age.
- Family history of heart disease.
- Post-menopausal.
- Race (Blacks and Mexican Americans are more likely to have heart disease than whites).
Still, there are many risk factors that can be controlled. By making changes in your lifestyle, you can actually reduce your risk for heart disease.
Controllable risk factors include:
- Smoking.
- High LDL, or “Bad” cholesterol and low HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
- Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Physical inactivity.
- Obesity (more than 20% over one’s ideal body weight).
- Uncontrolled diabetes.
- Uncontrolled stress and anger.
What Can I Do to Lower My Risk of Heart Disease?
Making changes in your lifestyle is a proven method for reducing your risk of developing heart disease. While there are no guarantees that a heart-healthy lifestyle will keep heart disease away, these changes will certainly improve your health in other ways, such as improving your physical and emotional well being. Also, because some risk factors are related to others, making changes in one area can benefit other areas.
Here are some ways you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Quit smoking.
Smokers have more than twice the risk for heart attack as nonsmokers and are much more likely to die if they suffer a heart attack. Smoking is also the most preventable risk factor. If you smoke, quit. Better yet, never start smoking at all.
- Improve cholesterol levels.
The risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases. A total cholesterol level over 200, a HDL, or “good” cholesterol level under 40, or a LDL, or “bad” cholesterol level over 160 indicates an increased risk for heart disease. Of course, interpretation of cholesterol values must be individualized, taking into account all of your risk factors for heart disease. A diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat will lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease.
- Control High Blood Pressure. Over 50 million people in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, making it the most common heart disease risk factor. One in four adults has systolic blood pressure (the upper number) over 140, and/or diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) over 90, which is the definition of hypertension. Like cholesterol, blood pressure interpretation should be individualized, taking into account your entire risk profile. If treatment is warranted, today’s blood pressure medications are effective, safe and easy to take.
- Get Active. Many of us lead sedentary lives, exercising infrequently or not at all. People who don’t exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease compared to people who perform even mild to moderate amounts of physical activity. Even, leisure-time activities like gardening or walking can lower your risk of heart disease.
- Eat Right. Eat a heart-healthy diet low in fat and cholesterol. Try to increase the amounts of vitamins you eat, especially antioxidants, which have been proven to lower your risk for heart disease.
- Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight. Excess weight puts significant strain on your heart and worsens several other heart disease risk factors such as diabetes. Research is showing that obesity itself increases heart disease risk. By eating right and exercising, you can lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Manage Stress. Poorly controlled stress and anger can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Use stress and anger management techniques to lower your risk.
- Control Diabetes. If not properly controlled, diabetes can lead to significant heart damage including heart attacks and death.
Smoking and Heart Disease
Most people associate cigarette smoking with breathing problems and lung cancer. But did you know that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease for men and women? About 30% of all deaths from heart disease in the US are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease. A person’s risk of heart attack greatly increases with the number of cigarettes he or she smokes. Smokers continue to increase their risk of heart attack the longer they smoke. People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day have more than twice the risk of heart attack than non-smokers. Women who smoke and also take birth control pills increase several times their risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Cigarette smoke not only affects smokers. When you smoke, the people around you are also at risk for developing health problems, especially children. Environmental tobacco smoke (also called passive smoke or second-hand smoke) affects people who are frequently around smokers. Second-hand smoke can cause chronic respiratory conditions, cancer and heart disease.
How Does Smoking Increase Heart Disease Risk?
The nicotine present in smoke causes:
- Decreased oxygen to the heart.
- Increased blood pressure and heart rate.
- Increase in blood clotting.
- Damage to cells that line coronary arteries and other blood vessels.
How Can Quitting Smoking Be Helpful?
Now that you know how smoking can be harmful to your health and the health of those around you, here are some ways quitting can be helpful.
If you quit smoking, you will:
- Prolong your life.
- Improve your sense of taste and smell.
- Save money.
- Reduce your risk of disease (including heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema, ulcers, gum disease and other conditions).
- Feel healthier. After quitting, you won’t cough as much, you’ll have fewer sore throats and you will increase your stamina.
- Look better. Quitting can help you prevent face wrinkles, get rid of stained teeth and improve your skin.
Stress and Heart Disease
Stress is a normal part of life. But, if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological and even physical problems, including Coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, chest pains or even irregualr heart beats.
How Does Stress Contribute to Heart Disease?
Medical researchers aren’t sure exactly how stress increases the risk of heart disease. Stress itself might be a risk factor, or it could be that high levels of stress make other risk factors (such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure) worse. For example, if you are under stress, your blood pressure goes up, you may overeat, you may exercise less and you may be more likely to smoke. If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Studies also link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Does Stress Affect Everyone the Same?
No. People respond in different ways to events and situations. One person may find an event joyful and gratifying, but another person may find the same event miserable and frustrating. Sometimes, people may handle stress in ways that make bad situations worse by reacting with feelings of anger, guilt, fear, hostility, anxiety and moodiness. Others may face life’s challenges with ease.
What Causes Stress?
Stress can be caused by a physical or emotional change, or a change in your environment that requires you to adjust or respond. Things that make you feel stressed are called “stressors.” Stressors can be minor hassles, major lifestyle changes or a combination of both. Being able to identify stressors in your life and releasing the tension they cause are the keys to managing stress. Below are some common stressors that can affect people at all stages of life.
- Illness, either personal or of a family member or friend
- Death of a friend or loved one
- Problems in a personal relationship
- Work overload
- Starting a new job
- Unemployment
- Retirement
- Pregnancy
- Crowds
- Relocation
- Daily hassles
- Legal problems
- Financial concerns
- Perfectionism
What Are the Warning Signs of Stress?
When you are exposed to long periods of stress, your body gives warning signals that something is wrong. These physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral warning signs should not be ignored. They tell you that you need to slow down. If you continue to be stressed and you don’t give your body a break, you are likely to develop health problems. You could also worsen an existing illness. Below are some common stress warning signs.
Physical signs: Dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, racing heart, ringing in the ears, stooped posture, sweaty palms, tiredness, exhaustion, trembling, weight gain or loss, upset stomach
Mental signs: Constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor, poor memory
Emotional signs: Anger, anxiety, crying, depression, feeling powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, negative thinking, nervousness, sadness
Behavioral signs: Bossiness, compulsive eating, critical attitude of others, explosive actions, frequent job changes, impulsive actions, increased use of alcohol or drugs, withdrawal from relationships or social situations
There are several ways to manage stress. For more information, go to the article on easing stress.
Know the WARNING SIGNS!
Heart Attack / Stroke
Yes. It could happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Knowledge is critical. Many who die each year from heart attack or stroke would be alive today if they, or someone close to them, had known what to do.
The key to surviving heart attack and stroke is to remember these three steps...
KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS · CALL 911 · GIVE CPR
Most common or "classic" warning signs of a HEART ATTACK
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, or arms.
- Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.
Less common warning signs
- Atypical chest pain, stomach, or abdominal pain.
- Nausea or dizziness (without chest pain).
- Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing (without chest pain).
- Unexplained anxiety, weakness, or fatigue.
- Palpitations, cold sweat, or paleness.
Most common warning signs of STROKE
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Any of the above stoke symptoms may be temporary, lasting anywhere from a few minutes up to 24 hours. This may be due to a "little stroke" or "mini-stroke" called a transient ischemic attack (TIA).
TIA's are extremely important stroke warning signs. Don't ignore them! GET MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY!
REMEMBER: DON'T DELAY
We hope you, and those around you, never have a heart attack or stoke. But, if one does occur, you can help prevent or reduce complications and perhaps save a life -- either yours or someone else's -- by knowing the signs and acting quickly.
Why does DIABETES increase my risk for heart attack and stroke?
Having diabetes significantly raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.
In fact, most people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. It is very important that you understand why and how to manage your diabetes and control your risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
How dangerous is diabetes as a risk for heart attack and stroke?
Actually diabetes kills more than 60,000 Americans each year, it contributes to the deaths of more than 190,000. Untreated diabetes can lead to a host of serious medical problems. These include blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, limb amputations, and heart and blood vessel disease.
Even when glucose levels are under control, diabetes greatly increases your risk of coronary heart disease which can lead to a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. It also increases your risk of stroke.
- People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke. Their heart disease tends to be more severe, and they have a higher risk of congestive heart failure.
- Two out of three people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease, rather than diabetes.
- That's partly because diabetes tends to lower "good" cholesterol and raise "bad" cholesterol.
- Diabetes causes nerve damage, making painless heart attacks more likely and harder to diagnose. People with diabetes are more likely to die from a heart attack than are people without diabetes who have a heart attack.
- Often people with diabetes have high blood pressure. About 80 to 90 percent are overweight or obese, and many are inactive. These factors raise their heart disease risk even more.
How can I reduce my risk of heart disease and stroke?
If you have diabetes, it's very important for you know and control your other risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease. Doing so will help reduce your risk of having a cardiac event or stroke.
Here are the major factors for coronary heart disease and stroke (other than diabetes)
Learn all you can about how you can modify, treat, or control these risk factors:
- Tobacco Smoke
- High Blood Pressure
- High Blood Cholesterol
- Physical Inactivity
- Obesity
- Heart Disease
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA's)
- Certain Blood Disorders
The good news is: The changes you make above will reduce your heart disease and stroke risk as well as help you control your diabetes! Some people may also need medication to keep their diabetes in check.
It's critically important for people with diabetes to have regular check-ups and follow the advice given by a doctor or other healthcare provider. Work closely with your healthcare team to manage your diabetes and control any other risk factors.
Galichia Medical Group, PA (GMED) is a multi-specialty group that provides comprehensive medical
services to all of Wichita’s hospitals and throughout the State of Kansas. GMED is located at 2600 N.
Woodlawn in Wichita, Kansas. The group consists of practitioners specializing in Cardiology,
Electrophysiology, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Geriatrics (including an Alzheimer’s and Memory
Loss Clinic), Gastroenterology, Nuclear Cardiology, Interventional Vascular Medicine, Endocrinology and
Pediatrics. GMED also has offices in Fredonia and Winfield. To schedule an appointment with one of our
physicians call toll free, 1-800-657-7250 or 316-684-3838. In addition, the Galichia Medical Group has
long provided cardiology services to rural communities of Kansas with satellite clinics throughout the State.
In January of 2005 a monthly endocrinology clinic was added to our office in Fredonia. For more
information about our satellite clinics across the State call toll free 1-800-657-7250 extension 2232.
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