Cardiovascular Disease: What You Should Know
By Alan S. Peterson, MD
What is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is when there are changes in your blood vessels and/or heart. These changes are caused by age and unhealthy habits, like smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. They can also run in families.
Having CVD makes you more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke. It can also affect your kidney function and even your vision and can make you more prone to aortic aneurysm and peripheral, vascular disease. In the United States, more than ten times as many women die from CVD as from breast cancer. We need to be concerned more about CVD.
How can I tell if I have CVD?
You may not notice that you have CVD. You are more likely to have it if you have any of the following:
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smoke
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are obese
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are older
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have high blood pressure
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have diabetes
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have high cholesterol
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have a relative with CVD
Ask your doctor if you are at risk for heart disease and stroke.
What can I do to prevent CVD?
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Stop smoking.
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Exercise regularly. For example, walk, jog, or swim for 30 minutes every day. Walking is wonderful exercise for those who can do it. Make sure you talk to your physician before you start exercising, if you are not used to it, or have other medical problems.
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Eat a heart-healthy diet. This means no “trans” fats, and few saturated fats. Cook with canola oil. It only has 6% saturated fat. On the other hand coconut oil is 92% saturated! Decrease your calorie intake also. More vegetables, fiber and fruit are in order. Nuts are generally healthy too.
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Keep at a healthy body weight. Ask your doctor what your Body Mass Index (BMI) is. Try to keep your BMI below 25 kg per m2. (71% of men are considered overweight.)
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Take all your medicines as prescribed and follow your doctor’s directions, especially if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or high cholesterol. If you can’t take the medicines, tell your doctor.
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Make sure the foods that you eat have no trans fats and that they also do not have any “partially hydrogenated” ingredients. The latter can be present even when the package says “No trans fats”. Check the ingredients area closely.
Where can I get more information?
Please ask your medical care provider or family physician. An excellent medical reference is also the American Heart Association. Its website is www.amhrt.org. Its phone number 1-800-242-8721.
Dr. Peterson is a doctor of Family and Community Medicine at the Walter L. Aument Family Health Center, 317 S. Chestnut St., Quarryville.