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Studies Confirm Preventing Heart Disease is the Best Medicine
August 10, 2010
Studies Confirm Preventing Heart Disease is the Best
Medicine
By James H. O’Keefe, M.D.
As a cardiologist with a strong focus on preventing heart
disease, I was delighted to see a recent report from the American Heart
Association (AHA) emphasizing that a healthy diet and a regular exercise program
are effective steps to ensure a long and healthy life.
Unfortunately this common sense advice usually is not being
followed as evidenced by reports showing that 8 million Americans have a
history of heart attack, stroke or heart failure, and about one-third of all of
us are destined to die from cardiovascular disease.Here’s the scientific evidence the AHA
reported:After reviewing 74 previously
published studies, the AHA found that things as simple as writing down how much
and how often you exercise each day can keep you healthy and on track.
By making healthy lifestyle changes, the AHA found you could
boost your average life expectancy by about seven years!That’s a lot more time to share with your friends
and family.Want even better news?If you stay healthy and active, not only will
you add years to your life, but you’ll add vitality to those years!
How can you ignore the possibility that if you simply eat
healthier, exercise more and stop smoking, you could live a longer, healthier
life?In fact, this evidence is so
compelling, the AHA released a statement July 27 in its scientific publication,Circulation, urging doctors and their patients to make these
heart-healthy changes.
An AHA initiative called “Life’s Simple 7” is one way people
can understand what their risks for heart disease are, and then begin to take
control of their health. The AHA released these seven health factors and
lifestyle behaviors in January 2010. They include:
Never
smoked, or quit more than a year ago.
Having
a BMI (body mass index) of
less than 25.
Exercising
at a moderate level for at least 150 minutes, or at an intensive level for
75 minutes per week.
Following
a healthy diet, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, and avoiding
fried foods, and high-calorie processed foods.
Having
a total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dl.
Blood
pressure below 120/80 mm Hg.
Fasting
blood glucose below 100 mg/dl.
“Life’s Simple 7” is not as easy to achieve as its name
implies, or our hospitals wouldn’t be filled with heart attack and stroke
patients. Why is that?What people so
often fail to do is “connect the dots” between the health factors on this list,
and the actions necessary to make a difference in their day-to-day lives.
There are exceptions to every rule, but for most people, if
you’ll eat right and exercise, even at a moderate level, you’ll stay in better
shape, keep your weight under control, maintain
lower levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose.If you stop smoking, you’ll experience these
health benefits PLUS much more,
including a reduced risk of cancer and lung disease.
So if you’ve been waiting for proof that you need to eat
right and exercise more often, wait no longer. This report should spur you to
take the steps outlined above.You will
probably need to work with your physician to measure and control all of your
risk factors.
So before making drastic changes in your diet or taking on a
rigorous exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor. He or she can
help you determine your baseline numbers, like blood pressure, cholesterol and
glucose, and can help you monitor your progress as you work to add life and
vitality to your years.
Dr. O’Keefe is a
cardiologist with Cardiovascular Consultants, located in Lee’s Summit at 20
N.E. Saint Luke’s Blvd., Suite 110, 816-931-1883.
