Know Your Numbers and You’ll Know Your Heart Health
You may be like many other people and can give a fairly accurate summary of your basic medical information that includes details of your past surgeries and recently prescribed medications, and perhaps even some of your vital numbers. However, did you know that those vital numbers can reflect your past and present heart health status and the direction of that status?
Most of the time those numbers in your chart simply remain there as a part of your medical record. However, you should make an effort to understand them and, with your doctor, be knowledgeably equipped to ward off cardiovascular disease.
Maintaining and improving heart health begins with regular checkups and tests and asking your doctor questions about your vital numbers. Should you discover that your blood pressure indicates that you are at increased risk for a stroke, or that you have abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides (blood lipids) increasing your risk of having a heart attack, you can assume more responsibility for your own health and team with your doctor to decrease your risk factors for stroke or heart attack.
Assuming the responsibility for your own health is important for a proper patient-physician relationship. When you know your medical history and recent lipid laboratory results and can bring at-home blood pressure readings to your appointment with your doctor, you can aid him or her in getting to know you and your needs.
The Benefits of Tracking Your Cardiac Numbers
The responsibility of knowing and maintaining a record of your key test results is not solely the responsibility of your doctor. If you know your health status and take an active role in your heart health you can avoid health problems. You can and should document your blood pressure readings, cholesterol tests and other results you get from doctor visits and health screenings. It’s easy to do in a journal or a computer spreadsheet and easy to take it with you on your next appointment.
While documenting your numbers look at the direction they are taking and if they show success if you are under some treatment plan or if something needs to be changed to allow improvement. Often viewing your numbers on paper or computer screen will keep you motivated to continue a heart healthy diet and exercise regimen.
Look for ways that you can do more to assume responsibility of your health and prevent heart disease. The American Heart Association notes that 48% of adults have high lipid levels. Additionally there are 45,000,000 people in America that smoke even though the dangers of smoking have been pointed out repeatedly. A smoker has twice the risk of having a stroke, and two to four times the risk of developing coronary disease.
It’s important that you improve controllable heart attack or stroke risk factors. Smoking is the prime risk factor that you can and should control. However, smoking is the number one risk factor you can control, and your health will improve as soon as you quit. Your doctor should access your smoking status with every visit. If you are a smoker and want to quit, have a talk with your doctor or even your pharmacist. Either should be able to recommend an aid to help you quit.
The second controllable risk factor is diet and exercise. You need to eat right and be active physically to lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and help control your weight. Obesity leads to diabetes. People who have diabetes: are at higher risk for heart disease, have additional causes of heart disease, may develop heart disease at a younger age, and may have more severe heart disease.
You can take control of your health by staying current in your comprehension of heart disease, understanding blood pressure and being aware of your test results role in heart health. Getting involved by scheduling regular checkups, developing an exercise plan, and following a heart healthy diet means you’re doing as much as you can to prevent a cardiovascular event.
Good blood pressure, weight control, and low cholesterol are all vital in order to prevent heart disease. Team up with your doctor so that you both are working to maximize the health of you, the most important member of the team.
Obesity and Heart Disease – They Are Related!
Obesity and heart disease were once thought by many medical professionals to be only indirectly related. The major risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis, were attributed to the degree of obesity of the person who had the problem. Yes, while obesity does contribute to these conditions, current studies are showing that there is direct link between being over-weight and heart disease. Even if you are just a little over-weight you should consider a weight loss program for the protection of your heart health.
Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease and coronary artery disease are often the results of arteriosclerosis an accumulation of athermanous plaques within the walls of the arteries
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Coronary Heart Disease Information
Coronary Heart Disease is the leading killer disease in the United States. At least 58 million people in America, if not more, have some type of heart disease. If we want to stop this disease, it’s important that we learn all about it and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
It is not very difficult to find information on coronary heart disease. More than likely your doctor has a lot of information you need in layman’s terms on the topic at his office. Read the rest of this entry »
Rheumatic Heart Disease is Treatable
Rheumatic heart disease, in simple layman’s terms is a condition that is a result of rheumatic fever. Severe cases of, or untreated, rheumatic fever damage the heart valves. Rheumatic fever may develop from an untreated strep (streptococcus) throat infection that travels to the joints and heart, bringing about joint and muscle pains and fever. Other symptoms are possible nosebleeds and abdominal pain. The term ‘rheumatic’ comes from the joint pain caused by the infection, the main symptom of rheumatic fever.
Rheumatic fever primarily affects children between ages 6 and 15 years and occurs approximately 20 days after strep throat or scarlet fever. In up to a third of cases, the underlying strep infection may not have caused any symptoms. Read the rest of this entry »
Women’s Heart Disease
Heart Disease in Women: The Number One Killer
Women’s heart disease is not thought of being as prevalent as men’s heart disease by the general public. We need to look at the fact to understand the seriousness of heart disease in women. Recent studies indicate that more than 8 million American women are currently living with heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women and more women than men die of heart disease each year.
Heart disease in women, if present, can be as easily diagnosed and treated as in men. And as with men, the key to staying healthy is prevention. Women often engage in several risk factors throughout their lifetime that contribute to heart disease just as men do. Risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease in women and men include cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, not being active, diabetes and obesity. Read the rest of this entry »
Reversing Heart Disease: Just Turn Back The Clock
Reversing heart disease is possible if you adopt a few lifestyle changes. Those changes will turn back the clock for you and make your heart healthier. By steering around risk factors that may have started the damage that gave you heart disease you can reverse heart disease. You’ll be able to live a long, healthy life despite having heart disease.
There are several forms of heart disease. Most heart disease is caused by a clogging of the arteries that feed blood to the heart. When your heart cannot enough of that necessary fresh blood, it can die and a heart attack follows. Remove the blockage from the clogged arteries, and you reverse heart disease because you are healing your heart. Read the rest of this entry »