How To Take Care Of Your Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., affecting about 12 million people.
Despite its prevalence, there's at lot people don't know about the condition. So medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay answers some of the most commonly asked questions about heart disease on The Saturday Early Show.
What are the risk factors?
There are several. Some, you have no control over and others, you do. Among the factors that are out of your hands:
Family history and that includes race. African-Americans suffer from heart disease at a higher rate than Caucasians.
Age - Studies show that 84 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older.
Gender - Men are more likely to have a heart attack and to have it at an earlier age.As for the controllable risk factors, they are:
What are the most common symptoms of heart disease?
Not everyone who has heart disease will exhibit these symptoms, but these are among the most common:
Chest pain tops the list and it's a pain that may make a person feel like they are being strangled or suffocated. However, the pain is not restricted to the chest. People may also feel pain in their jaw, shoulder or arm. It can be very scary, and if you think you're going through it, you need to contact a doctor right away.
Other symptoms include: heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness and dizziness.
Are there any steps someone can take to prevent heart disease?
Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on the inside of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to heart muscle. So what you want to do is make sure that buildup doesn't occur.
The most important step you can take is to quit smoking. You'll also want to lower your blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. This can be done through lifestyle changes, but there are also medications that can help. It's also important to exercise regularly, and that doesn't mean going out and running five miles a day seven days week. Walking 30 minutes a day can go a long way. Also make sure you eat a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables.
What about diagnosing heart disease? Are there some methods of detection that are better than others?
Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know they have heart disease until they have a heart attack. But if you have any of the risk factors mentioned above, contact your doctor. He or she can perform a number of tests including:
- A chest X-ray, used for diagnosis of an enlarged heart, which can be a sign of heart failure.
- A stress test is also a good indicator. This is when you walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike at higher levels of difficulty, while the electrocardiogram, heart rate and blood pressure are checked.
- A coronary angiography may also be something your doctor will recommend. It is a procedure where the doctor inserts a catheter into an artery to determine whether it has narrowed.
Is heart disease curable?
Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or procedure that can cure heart disease. But there are ways to treat the condition. The way doctors will treat you depends on how far the disease has progressed.
Your doctor may suggest an angioplasty, which is a technique that uses a balloon to open up narrowed arteries.
Another widely used procedure is coronary bypass, where a blood vessel taken from another part of the body is used to redirect blood through the new blood vessel, restoring blood flow to the affected portion of the heart muscle.
Certain medications can also be prescribed, and your doctor will also suggest lifestyle changes, including exercising more, quitting smoking and eating more healthy foods.