Heart Disease Prevention By Jamison Jones, MD Cardiology has made incredible advances in treating vascular disease over the past few decades. Many lives are saved or improved on a daily basis here in Southern Utah because of these advances. Yet many of us do not take the time to consider how to prevent heart disease before it takes hold. I have two suggestions, simple lifechanging concepts that have been proven to make a real difference in both quality and quantity of life. First, follow the Mediterranean diet. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published the results of a randomized controlled study of 7,447 people. The results of this study demonstrated a significant reduction in stroke, heart attack, and death in those that follow the Mediterranean diet. In addition, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and inflammation; it can even prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. The Mediterranean diet consists of a balance of foods that are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, essential to good health. This includes eating a diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans,
nuts, olive oil, seeds, herbs, and spices. About the Author Dr. Jamison Jones, MD and It also includes healthy protein sources Board Certified Cardiologist, did such as fish, poultry, eggs and yogurt, his residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ after while limiting foods that are processed, graduating from the University high in sugar, or saturated fats. of Utah School of Medicine. He My second suggestion is to adopt completed his cardiology fellowship in 2009, and since then has been an active lifestyle. This means find practicing with Heart of Dixie in time to exercise on a daily basis. This is St. George. a dedicated time for exercise- beyond the normal routines of life. The minimum goal is thirty minutes a day, five or six days a week. The benefits of exercise are widely studied and proven to reduce heart disease and its causes, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and stress. Like the Mediterranean diet, exercise has been shown to reduce the damaging effect of inflammation. Choose an activity that you enjoy doing, and do it at a pace that makes it difficult to carry on a conversation. Both the Mediterranean diet and exercise are helping us fight and prevent heart disease, leading to a happier and healthier life!
St. George Health & Wellness Magazine | March/April 2014 41