According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and stroke is ranked second worldwide. In fact, one person dies every 37 seconds from heart disease – nearly 650,000 people each year or one in four deaths.
The Center for Disease Control reports that 18.2 million people in the United States over 20 suffer from coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease, and two out of every 10 deaths under the age of 65 are caused from coronary heart disease.
A heart attack occurs every 40 seconds in the United States – 805,000 annually. And one in five of these heart attacks is silent – the damage is done but the person is unaware it occurred.
The Center for Disease Control states that some have a greater risk of developing heart disease due to underlying conditions, genetics, and lifestyle choices. Those who have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes are at a greater risk than those who do not have these secondary conditions. Also lifestyle choices like smoking, obesity, inactivity, and unhealthy diet can put someone at a greater risk for heart disease.
According to Dr. Keith Rushing with Winona Family Practice, a clinic operated by Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital, many factors go into a person’s risk of heart disease. Family history, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure are all contributing factors in the path one takes in preventing heart disease.
Prevention is key to avoiding heart disease, and annual checkups with a physician becomes a necessity after the age of 30. If someone has greater risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, he recommends checkups every six months.
“If you are 25 years old, you should start going for checkups, and at 30 even more, and at 40 and 50 even more,” he said.
Rushing said a healthy lifestyle is at the heart of prevention.
“Avoid doing bad things,” Rushing said, partly in jest. “Don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Don’t stress. Eat an appropriate diet, and get daily exercise.”
Rushing said a healthy diet is low in fat and sodium. He also recommended 30-45 minutes of exercise daily.
“Go walking,” Rushing said. “That is a good place to start.”
He recommended a daily goal of walking two miles per day in 30-35 minutes, but “gradually work your way up.”
Rushing said stress can also increase a person’s risk of heart disease, and stress management should be taken seriously.
“Find something that makes you happy,” Rushing said. “Go to church – it makes you less stressed.”
He said that regular exercise is one of the best stress relievers.
Rushing said studies show getting plenty of sleep can also help reduce your risk for heart disease. He also said drinking a glass of water prior to bed and another upon waking is beneficial to heart health.
According to Rushing, educating yourself on healthy habits and collaborating with your physician can help achieve optimal health.
“Preventing heart disease never stops regardless of what age you are,” he said. “Call your doctor and tell him you would like to sit down and discuss your individual needs. Then you can determine what is good for you individually.”
For those already living with heart disease, home health professionals can assist in ensuring your health needs are met at home.
Laura Wood, executive director of StaHome of Carroll, Montgomery, Grenada, Tallahatchie, and Yalobusha counties, said her company developed a program called, Right Path, that is based on best practices and years of experience and data. The program can decrease the likelihood of re-hospitalization for patients with heart failure.
“We don’t usually see people with heart issues without underlying issues like diabetes or high blood pressure or other secondary conditions,” Wood said.
With tools like telemonitoring and proper disease management and patient education, StaHome’s health professionals develop a program customized to each patient.
Nutrition education is necessary for those managing heart disease, especially sodium intake.
“High sodium in the quick and easy meals is a contributing factor in heart problems,” Wood said. “Sodium can be found in just about any food. It is about managing your sodium intake.”
Wood said her home health nurses are equipped to teach their patients good nutrition as well as provide help with meal planning and exercise options.
“Our therapists help develop light exercise programs for all our patients,” Wood said. “Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day is good for the heart and the mind. Even if you just get out in your yard and look at your flowers, or walk the dog. There is something you can do for all activity levels.”
Gay Hammond with Hammond’s Pharmacy and Gifts said managing prescribed drugs the right way is also important to heart health and avoiding further advancement of heart disease.
“People need to get their prescriptions renewed every month,” Hammond said. “Taking your prescriptions as directed is very important in overall health.”
Hammond said her pharmacy will sync all prescriptions to renew at the same time each month. She also offers delivery in Carroll and Montgomery counties to ensure patients continue taking medicine as prescribed.
“It is so important to take your blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart medications, [pharmacists] are monitored by the insurance companies,” Hammond said. “If patients don’t get their medication every month, [pharmacies] are penalized.”
Hammond said she feels the relationship between patient and pharmacist is so important, she has designated a room in her new building, currently under construction, for patient consultation. There she can work with patients and educate them on ways to decrease prescription costs and allow them time to ask any questions about their medicines.
Above all else, Rushing, Wood, and Hammond all urged patients to visit their physicians if they need help achieving heart health or if they question any symptom. It is better to err on the side of caution and seek a professional’s care.
For more information about heart health, visit www.heart.org.
