Healthy Heart Tips | Are You at Risk? | Heart Attack Warning Signs | Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs | Resources and Links

Healthy Heart Tips
Having a healthy heart is a combination of your habits and heredity. While you can't do anything about genetics that may increase your risk of heart disease, there is a great deal you can do about health habits to minimize that risk.

Your doctor is your best ally in the fight against heart disease, so make sure you enlist his or her support. There are medications to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, but it's your actions that can make the biggest difference.

1. Know your numbers
You and your doctor can assess your risk of heart disease by looking at several important numbers, including your weight, blood cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. If you haven't done so recently, see your health care provider to find out where you stand and enlist your doctor's help on addressing any risk areas.

2. Eat a healthy diet
The food you put in your body is what fuels your every move. A healthy diet gives every cell in your body what it needs to perform properly-or improperly. A few simple guidelines include:

• Eat a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat or nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, lean poultry and meats.
• Reduce your fat intake, especially animal fats and fat from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (found in margarine, cookies, cakes, donuts, fried foods, etc.). Use monounsaturated fat such as olive oil and canola oil, or polyunsaturated fat such as sunflower, corn, safflower, soy bean oils, and oil from walnuts and pecans.
• Limit salt, sugars, sweets and alcohol.
• Eat three to six small meals per day.

And don't forget, everything you eat contains calories. No matter what you eat, eat wisely and only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight.

You can find more information on eating well in Sutter's health information library under balanced diet, serving size and the food guide pyramid.

3. Maintain a proper body weight
Obesity is one of the leading causes of heart disease and can contribute to developing diabetes and other health problems. But even a proper weight can be misleading. People who carry fat stores in their waist area may also be at risk for developing heart disease.

Find out how much you should weigh and whether your waist-to-hip-ratio is healthy by visiting Sutter's health information section listings: body mass index (BMI), healthy weight chart for adults, calculating waist circumference and estimating percentage of body fat. The healthy weight section also contains a great deal of helpful information on weight, diet and exercise.

4. Control your blood pressure
Blood pressure higher than 120/80 can lead to heart disease and stroke. Treatment is recommended even if only one number is high.

The cause of high blood pressure is unknown for most people; however, we do know that certain things make a person more likely to develop high blood pressure. Heredity plays a role, but even with a family history of high blood pressure, there are still things you can control, such as being overweight or eating too much salt. Not exercising and drinking too much alcohol can also increase your chances for high blood pressure.

Your doctor may recommend a medication to lower blood pressure. Medication combined with a few commonsense actions or your part can keep blood pressure lower:

• Manage your weight or lose weight if you are overweight.
• Exercise regularly-30 minutes a day most days of the week.
• Limit salt (sodium) intake to less than 2,400 mg a day (1 teaspoon of salt).
• Eat more fruits and vegetables, and low fat or nonfat dairy products.
• Limit your intake of saturated fat and total fat.
• Eat foods rich in potassium.
• If you're a woman, drink no more than one alcoholic drink a day. A man should drink no more than two alcoholic drinks a day.
• Get regular blood pressure checks. This is especially true if you have high blood pressure or if you are a women taking birth control pills, estrogen or hormone therapy.

5. It is all about you!
Remember-there is no magic pill to eliminate your risk of heart disease. Controlling risk is a combination of personal effort and proper medical care. By taking medications your doctor prescribes and doing your part to eat well, exercise and control your weight, you can make great strides in reducing your chances of heart disease.

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Are You at Risk?
Whether through habits or hereditary, it's important to know your level of risk for heart disease so that you can take action to prevent risk from becoming reality.

There is a history of coronary artery in your family

Your total cholesterol level is greater than 160 mg/dL

HDL cholesterol is less than 40 mg/dL

LDL cholesterol is greater than 100mg/dL

Triglyceride level is greater than 150 mg/dL

Your blood pressure is greater than 120/80

You smoke cigarettes

You exercise less than two hours per week

You are overweight, with a body-mass index (BMI) greater than 26

You can't change your family history, but with your doctor's help, you can reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, stop smoking, exercise more and lose weight. In other words, there's a lot you can do to take control. Talk to your doctor about your risks and actions you can take.

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Heart Attack Warning Signs
Many heart attacks don't come with the one symptom we've been taught to expect-gripping chest pain. In fact, most heart attacks start slowly, with symptoms that may mimic other problems, such as heartburn. Women, elderly adults and patients with diabetes are less likely to experience chest pain, which is why it's important to know the signs, act quickly and get medical treatment as early as possible.

Know the following signs and call 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone you're with experiences them:

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, heaviness or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath.
• Breaking out in a cold sweat.
• Nausea or lightheadedness.

According to the American Heart Association, "If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait longer than a few minutes (no more than five) before calling for help. Call 9-1-1. Get to a hospital right away."

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Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs
Different from a heart attack, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops functioning for any reason. Call 9-1-1 immediately if any of the following symptoms appear:

• Sudden loss of consciousness; lack of movement
• No normal breathing for several seconds
• No pulse or signs of circulation

When the heart stops, every second counts. Call 9-1-1 and begin giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR keeps blood and oxygen moving to the heart and brain until medical help arrives.

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Resources and Links
Find out more about heart disease from the following resources:

Sutter Health's Health Information Library. See coronary artery disease Healthwise.

American Heart Association (AHA): www.americanheart.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease: www.womenheart.org