Providence Experts Help Guide You to a Healthier Heart

Jan. 14, 2008

PORTLAND, Ore. – February is American Heart Month, and a perfect time to make a commitment to a heart healthy life. Providence Heart and Vascular Institute experts are available for interviews on the following topics. These stories will serve to increase awareness, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease – which remains the top killer of men and women in the United States:

TALKING “HEART” WITH YOUR PRIMARY PHYSICIAN
Seventy million Americans live with heart disease. Many only see a primary care physician for their medical care. Take your heart care seriously by making those medical visits count. Be prepared to ask your doctor about heart disease, have detailed information on your family history and talk to your doctor about your level of risk. Providence heart experts can provide details on how to talk to your primary physician about your heart health and what tests you can expect your physician to order if you are at risk.

CONTROLLING THE NUMBER ONE KILLER
Despite advances in technology and medicine, cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans; someone dies from the disease every 35 seconds in the United States. The best weapon in this battle is in the hands of potential heart disease patients everywhere – a change in lifestyle. Here is a list of lifestyle changes that will improve a person’s cardiovascular health:

• Don’t smoke – Cigarette smoking is the greatest preventable cause of death. Those who smoke nearly double their risk of a heart attack.
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check. Buildup of fatty deposits clog arteries and block blood flow.
• Eat a nutritious, low-fat, low-salt diet and keep a healthy weight – Extra pounds place extra stress on the heart, and losing weight can benefit your heart and help lower blood cholesterol.
• Be active. Physical inactivity contributes to other risk factors, such as being overweight and high blood pressure.
• If you have diabetes, control your blood glucose level throughout the day to avoid big drops and peaks.
• Know your family history. If your brother, father or grandfather had a heart attack before age 55, or your sister, mother or grandmother had one before age 65, you may be at risk, too. If you’ve already had a heart attack, you’re at higher risk of having a second one.
• Be aware of signs and symptoms, and call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away if experiencing chest discomfort or any other signs.

SIMPLE SCREENING CATCHES VASCULAR DISEASE
Left untreated, vascular disease can cause crippling strokes or death. One of the most dangerous forms of vascular disease is abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Patients may never know they have the aneurysm unless they are screened – and if an aneurysm grows to the point of rupture, most patients will die from the rupture. Crippling and fatal vascular disease can be caught easily with a simple, painless screening. Technicians glide an ultrasound wand over a patient’s neck and abdomen and use a blood pressure cuff on the ankle to identify vascular problems. Treatment is often an outpatient procedure. Vascular disease screenings are recommended for people 60 and older and who smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, pulmonary disease or a family history of vascular disease. Providence experts offer vascular screening events and free vascular disease lectures through 2008. For more information on the screenings and lectures call 503-216-2088.

HANDY GUIDE TO HEART HEALTHY FACTS AND FOOD