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7 Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease As we age gracefully there are factors within our control to re- duce the risk of heart disease. My father, a wise man, once said, "eat right, exercise and you may live to 100." As a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, I know that there are risk factors that helped create the potential for heart disease. Making changes to reduce these controllable risk factors can improve heart health. Before making any of the following changes, please consult your physician. Stop tobacco use. If you smoke, I highly recom- mend you stop using tobacco and/ or tobacco products: Tobacco use is the number one preventable risk factor for heart disease. Smoking can cause the heart to work harder to supply oxygen to your body, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Reduce high cholesterol. High cholesterol is also a major risk factor that causes heart dis- ease. Cholesterol can build up in the coronary arteries and cause blockages. e best ways to lower your cholesterol levels are to lower the amount of fat in your diet, exercise on a regular basis and take your medicines as prescribed. Reducing your cholesterol is one of the most controllable risk factors. Control high blood pressure. About 50 million Americans have high blood pressure. ere are usu- ally no symptoms with high blood pressure and is oen referred to as the "silent killer." Untreated high blood pressure can lead to coro- nary artery disease, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, blindness and other medical prob- lems. You help lower your blood pressure by: - Stop tobacco use. - Exercise 30 minutes a day. - Limit the amount of salt you eat. - Control your weight – for every pound you gain, you add four pounds of pressure against the heart. - Limit alcohol and caffeine to one to two servings, per day. - Take your medicine at the same time every day. Manage diabetes and metabolic syndrome. If you have diabetes, your body does not do a good job of using the food you eat. is is because it has a problem breaking down carbohy- drates. Most of what you eat needs to be broken down into simple sugar, called glucose. Glucose is the body's main energy source. For glucose to get into your cells, it needs insulin (a hormone made by the pancreas). People with diabe- tes produce little or no insulin, or the body does not respond to the insulin that is made. No matter what the cause, glu- cose builds up in the blood. High blood sugar acts like sand paper and causes the walls of the arteries to become rough. Bad cholesterol (LDL) creates build up in the walls of an artery and makes it narrower. is slows blood flow to your body. Heart disease may then occur. Controlling your blood sugar can help slow or prevent this damage. Lose excess weight. e goal is to exercise for 30 straight minutes three to five days a week, preferably daily, to improve your cardiovascular health. In just 30 minutes a day will help you: - Lower your blood pressure Continued on page 8...