News Taffy

Hopefully you have been inspired by my previous three articles on heart disease and prevention this month. My series for heart disease awareness month ends with some ways to reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke.

The single best thing you can do for your heart, and indeed your overall health, is to exercise! Extensive research proves that exercise will help you lose weight, feel more energetic, sleep better, lower your blood pressure, help control diabetes, relieve arthritis pain, reduce stress and feelings of depression. Exercise can also reduce inflammation in the body which is a factor in heart disease. Eating a well balanced diet and giving up cigarettes are important to your health but leading an active life will make the biggest difference. The typical American sits all day at work and then spends another 5 hours watching TV or in front of a computer at home. One study reveals that low fitness is the single biggest predictor of early death. Those who are overweight but still active tend to have less health problems than someone who is overweight and inactive.

Even small increases in activity can be beneficial. If you have a serious health problem, or have been inactive for a long time, talk with your doctor about safely beginning an exercise program. Try walking, which is free and most anyone can do it, for 10 minutes, three times a week. After a couple of weeks, add 10 more minutes and another day, working up to 30 minutes 5 days a week. You need to feel some discomfort when exercising but not true pain. It will not be easy but the results will be rewarding.

Genetic testing can provide individuals with a genetic profile which will reveal whether you have a predisposition to a certain disease, like heart disease. Then you are able to follow a diet and exercise plan to prevent progression or development of the disease. Genetic testing can also reveal how you will react to a certain drug; for example some people carry a gene that prevents the liver from responding to the drug Plavix, which helps prevent clots from forming inside a stent. The doctor can then prescribe a more effective drug. Depending on your plan, insurance may cover the cost of testing.

While it is true that we do inherit certain genes that can lead to health problems (heart disease, some cancers and diabetes run in families), that doesn’t mean that you can’t prevent the disease from developing. Changing your lifestyle and making healthier choices can make a difference. If you have at least two risk factors for heart disease (risk factors: http://www.jonesboro.com/newstaffy/item/9149/From+the+Cardiologist%27s+Wife%3A++Heart+Attack+Warning+Signs), consider having a calcium score. A calcium score is a test in which a CT scan measures the amount of calcium in your heart arteries. The test only takes a few minutes and you remain clothed. It can help predict your risk of a heart attack.

Whatever you do, take care of your heart!