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HOLISTIC HEART HEALTH Advice on preventing heart disease
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COLUMBUS MONTHLY APRIL 2022
disease, the American Heart Association estimates 80 percent of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are preventable. Men of all ages can begin heart disease prevention through two main pillars: understanding and acting on their risk factors, and building a healthy heart through lifestyle changes. Dr. Julie Cantrell, a family physician and medical director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at the OhioHealth McConnell Heart Health Center, says heart disease risk factors are broken up into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable. “Risk factors for heart disease that are non-modifiable would be things like gender, age, genetics and family history—there’s nothing you can do about [these],” she says. “Modifiable risk factors, they’re pretty wellknown and well-studied, and there’s a lot you can do.” Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar are examples of modifiable heart disease risk factors.
Anyone can have high blood pressure for years and not know, as high blood pressure typically does not cause symptoms. Checking your blood pressure periodically is crucial, says Cantrell. For those with high blood pressure, Cantrell recommends a low-sodium diet, exercise and limiting alcohol consumption. Dr. M. Wesley Milks, a cardiologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recommends that everyone get 115 minutes or more of exercise every week, but notes that physical activity can extend beyond formal guidelines. “There are a number of activities that people can do to accumulate physical activity, whether it’s exercise or doing heavy chores or housework,” he says. Cantrell recommends aerobic exercises for heart health, but her patients have also found success through strength training. “Strength training is important, because it helps keep your metabolism higher and it
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Heart disease is the leading cause of death across the U.S., with 1 out of every 4 deaths attributed to it. In Ohio, this deadly burden is painfully familiar: According to the Ohio Department of Health, heart disease killed more than 26,000 Ohioans in 2016 (the most recent data available on the ODH website), and the state had the 13th-highest rate of deaths from heart disease in the nation. Heart disease includes several different diseases and conditions, like coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI or heart attack) and heart failure, with CHD being the most common. Heart disease is a significant health burden for all populations regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, age or geography. However, men have a much higher chance of heart disease than women, with men in Ohio 61 percent more likely to die from it. While cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer and the most expensive
By David Rees