A service of the institute of cardiovascular excellence
Summertime Shifts Grilling. Ice cream. Picnics. Beaches. This is the best time of the year to live in the Southeast. The sun beckons us to visit one of the many springs and lakes in the state, as well as the ever-popular Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, we might choose to stay home and relax, spending time with our families so we can appreciate each other and the scenery that makes Central Florida extraordinary. But while the weather changes to allow us to take delight in the longer days, shorter nights, and refreshing midday rainstorms, our diets tend to change, too. We celebrate the return of summer with outdoor grilling, cooling down with ice cream, and packing baskets for picnics, all of which captures what most of us enjoy during this time of year. The smells and flavors of summer are bound to make us feel carefree, and our minds need that sense of bliss. But with this change, we want to remain diligent about our health. We must pay attention to the outside of our bodies by shielding our eyes and skin from the glare and heat of the sun. However, we should also remember to care for the invisible parts of our bodies — like our arteries and heart — because as with this month’s health topic, abdominal aortic aneurysms, you may not be able to see what needs your attention. Yours,
Asad U. Qamar, MD FACC, FCCP, FSGC, FACP, FSCAI Cardiologist
Seriously silent: Abdominal aortic aneurysms Like a balloon, the wall of the aorta is quite elastic and can stretch. And like a balloon, it expands and retracts to accommodate the amount of air blown into it, or in this case, the amount of blood passing through the body’s largest blood vessel. This stretching and shrinking is normal, but what happens when the aorta wall becomes weakened with age or by health issues? When the health of the aortal wall has faded, this blood vessel abnormally expands and swells. (Picture a garden hose with a round bubble along its otherwise sleek form.) This ballooning is called an aneurysm. It most
commonly occurs in the abdominal area, slowing down blood flow to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs. This can cause blood clots to form, break off, and travel from the belly to the legs. What is important to understand about these abdominal aortic aneurysms is there are a few critical “mysteries.” The actual cause of the ballooning is unknown and can be so severe that the wall can rupture and tear open. And because of its hidden location in the abdomen, the aneurysm may go unnoticed because there are often no symptoms of growth until it tears or blood begins to leak from the blood vessel.
However, while the causes of aneurysms are not fully understood, we do know what makes us more susceptible to them. The fact is these abdominal aortic aneurysms most often occur in smokers, individuals with high cholesterol and blood pressure, males e over the age of 60, and people a. who suffer from emphysema. As with many health condiy tions, genetics may also play a part in the likelihood of an aneurysm forming. e So when considering the best bet in preventing an sm, abdominal aortic aneurysm, an just think, “Better safe than ard sorry.” We may have heard this phrase repeated to us as
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children, but the truth is the best way to keep your body healthy is to eat right, exercise, and to know when to seek help from professionals like those at ICE.