Page 74 - TA Magazine Winter 2022
P. 74

Supporting your heart health on your own terms                                                                                                             phones also measure steps taken, with
               a new                                                                                                                                                                                      to measure their steps and then challenge
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the latest goal being more than 5,000
                                                                                by DR. JOHN A. RUMBERGER
                                                                                                                                                                                                          steps per day. I encourage my patients
                                                                                                                                                                                                          them to do more the next day.

                                                                                                                                                                                                          Accounting for heart health risk fac-
                                              reign                                                                                                                                                       pressure, abnormal cholesterol, BMI,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          tors—age, gender, family history, blood
                                                                                                                                                                                                          smoking history, and diabetes—allows
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the development of numerous risk equa-
                                                                                                                                                                                                          tions that your doctor might use to pre-
                                                                                                                                                                                                          dict your risk for heart disease. However,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          these apply only to the average person,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          across  diverse  populations,  which  have
                                                                                                                                                                                                          risk factors similar to your own and do
                                                                                                                                                                                                          not define or measure your personal risk.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          My colleagues and I, originally at the
                             In the ballad “DESPERADO,”                                                                                                                                                   Mayo Clinic and now at the Princeton
                             Glenn Frey laments,                                                                                                                                                          Longevity Center, had developed and ap-
                             “Don’t you play the Queen of Diamonds boy,                                                                                                                                   plied measures of the extent of coronary
        22                   she’ll beat if she’s able, the Queen of Hearts     How can you prevent                                                                                                       artery calcification (CAC), as a proven   22
                                                                                                                                                                                                          surrogate to the coronary atherosclerotic
        Y ANDERSON        WINTER 20  Even the Queen of Hearts inventor, Lewis Carroll, de-  currently, but the adage remains, “Genes                                                                      zero (none detected) to 3,000-5,000 and   Y ANDERSON        WINTER 20
                             was always your best bet.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                          plaque burden using non-contrast Car-
                                                                                heart disease and prolong
                                                                                                                                                                                                          diac CT, to define personal cardiac risk.
                             Really?
                                                                                                                                                                                                          tion accounts for a lifetime of risk factors
                                                                                Genetic factors are beyond our control
                                                                                                                                                                                                          to date. The CAC score can range from
       70                    The Queen of Hearts?                               healthy longevity?                                                                                                        The amount of coronary artery calcifica-  71
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              71
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the higher the score, the higher your per-
                                                                                load the gun, and YOU pull the trigger.”
                             scribed her as a childish, foul-tempered monarch who
                                                                                                                                                                                                          sonal risk for a heart attack. Although
                                                                                Choosing the best diet is one key factor.
                             (“Off with their heads”). Incredibly stressful—it is
                                                                                                                                                                                                          about percent stenosis, or narrowing of
                                                                                heart disease and diet—low carb, high
                             enough to give you a heart attack.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the heart arteries, a sudden heart attack,
                                                                                carb, vegetarian, and pescatarian—
        C                    is quick to give death sentences at the slightest offense   There are so many opinions regarding                                                                             patients and their doctors are concerned   C
        TRA                                                                     which result in confusion. Scientifically,                                                                                without  necessarily  a  significant  warn-  TRA
                             How you deal with stress, worry, and other emotions have signif-  the Mediterranean diet is the one that has                                                                 ing, has a mortality of 50%.
                             icant effects on heart health. Smoking was originally advertised as   been associated with lowering the risk of
                             a way to lower stress (cigarettes were even part of the K-rations   heart disease. This is a diet with plenty   and helps you sleep better. Most adults   for developing heart disease. I often rec-  My colleagues and I are in the business
                             given to American soldiers in WWII) and improve digestion af-  of fruits, vegetables, and lean sources     need seven hours of sleep each night.   ommend smartwatches for my patients   of preventing your first heart attack.
                             ter a meal. The long-term negative consequences of smoking were   of protein. Interestingly, it may not just   Prioritize sleep by setting a sleep sched-  who are at increased risk. Importantly,   So, work on stress management, follow
                             only fully realized in the late 20th Century. There’s also stress eat-  be the diet, but the Mediterranean life-  ule and sticking to it by going to bed   these devices can monitor your sleep cy-  a Mediterranean-type diet, work on a
                             ing, snacking, and comfort food—all of which can lead to obesity   style that should be a part of [your heart   and waking up at the same time each   cles and even snoring. All smartwatches   Mediterranean lifestyle, make sleep a pri-
                             when taken to extremes, which can beget high blood pressure and   -healthy] plan. Have a glass of wine, visit   day. Keep your bedroom dark and qui-  can measure your heart rates at any time,   ority, and exercise daily. To quote from
                             put you at risk for diabetes. Under added stress, we often do not   with your neighbors, family, and friends,   et. White noise generators are also very   and some even monitor for potentially   another great adventure, The Wizard of
                             sleep well. An inadequate sleep cycle can lead to sleep deprivation   and walk whenever you can.           soothing for getting to sleep.   threatening, abnormal heart rhythms.   Oz, the titular character responds to the
                             which adds on more emotions and stress. Obesity is also a prin-                                                                             Other smartwatches now measure blood   Tin Man’s desire for a heart: “My galva-
                             cipal factor in the development of sleep apnea or sleep-disordered   Exercise  can  also  lower  your  risk  for   Regular health screening can be especial-  pressure on demand and even oxygen   nized friend, a heart will never be practi-
                             breathing. All of these are especially important risk factors for the   heart disease. Physical activity helps you   ly important to define your personal risk   saturation. All smartwatches and smart   cal until it is made unbreakable.” TA
                             development of heart disease.                      control your weight and reduce your
                                                                                chances of developing other conditions
                                                                                that may put a strain on your heart, such
                                                                                as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,                Interestingly, it may not just be the diet, but the Mediterranean
                                                                                and type II diabetes. Regular exercise has       JASON HOLLY             lifestyle that should be a  part of [your heart healthy] plan.
                                                                                been shown to reduce risk for depression
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