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Of all the muscles in the human body, the heart works the hardest. Every minute of every day, it pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients essential to keep us alive.
Unfortunately, heart disease is the leading cause of death for most people in the United States. The good news is that a remarkable 80% to 90% of heart disease is preventable. Although genetics play a role in heart health, most people can employ lifestyle choices to minimize potentially life-threatening heart-related medical problems.
Monitoring heart health
Blood pressure is a key indicator of heart disease. The healthy range is 120 to 130 for systolic pressure (top number) and 70 to 80 for diastolic (bottom number). 120/80 is the sweet spot. Talk with your medical provider if your blood pressure is consistently higher or trending higher over time. Elevated blood pressure does not immediately cause heart disease, but the cumulative effects can lead to problems.
People older than 40 should also have their cholesterol checked every four to six years, and more frequently for those with diabetes or a family history of heart disease. Cholesterol is a type of lipid (fat) that performs many essential jobs in your body. Lipids don’t dissolve in water, so they don’t come apart in your blood, which is good unless you have too much–then cholesterol starts to get stuck inside artery walls and block blood flow. Talk with your medical provider about ways to lower your cholesterol through lifestyle changes or medication. Some people have a genetic tendency toward high cholesterol, but the negative impact is the same regardless of the cause.
Those with diabetes should monitor their heart health closely because elevated blood sugar can damage the heart’s blood vessels.
Paying attention to symptoms
A wide variety of symptoms can indicate heart problems, including a pounding or racing heart; palpitations; lightheadedness; sweating; dizziness; shortness of breath; chest or upper body pain, pressure, or heaviness; neck pain; nausea; heartburn or indigestion; lower body swelling; exhaustion; and difficulty sleeping. Heart attack symptoms include chest pain or discomfort; shortness of breath; and pain or discomfort in the jaw, back, arm, neck, or shoulder. During a heart attack, women are more likely than men to experience fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, but without heavy chest pressure many men describe.
Please don’t ignore these symptoms. I recently had a patient say she was feeling well except she’d started to get winded while walking down her hallway. We did an electrocardiogram and discovered she had recently had a heart attack. While new symptoms don’t necessarily mean you are having a heart attack, they should be taken seriously.
Lifestyle choices prevent heart disease
Healthy choices help keep our hearts strong. Consider the following.
Smoking: Smoking cigarettes damages the heart. Vaping is not a good alternative, nor is smoking marijuana.
Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can lead to many health problems, including heart disease. Drink in moderation, if at all. For women, moderate consumption is considered one drink or fewer in a day. For a man, moderate consumption is two drinks or fewer in a day.
Diet: Don’t consume excessive amounts of red meat, full-fat dairy, fried foods, or ultra-processed foods. It’s also important to eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats like olive oil and nuts. The Mediterranean diet is a great reference point for most people looking for healthy eating habits.
Exercise: The heart is a muscle and it needs to be strengthened just like other muscles. Aim to get your heart rate up and keep it elevated for 20 to 45 minutes, at least four times a week. Your age and gender influence how much and how hard you should exercise, but as a general guideline, you should feel slightly winded and sweat a bit. At the same time, some movement is better than no movement. If a 10-minute daily walk is realistic for you, do it!
Sleep: Aim to get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Your body is not some super machine that can go without rest: Sleep allows the body to repair itself. Medical providers used to recommend at least six to seven hours a night, but we’ve learned that more sleep really is better.
Maintain a healthy weight: When we carry extra weight, the heart has to work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. Sometimes my patients are skeptical that an extra 50 pounds really makes much difference. I encourage them to go to the grocery store and pick up one or two 10-pound bags of sugar and walk up and down a few aisles. Even that amount is a lot to carry around! Unnecessary weight stresses the whole body.
Taking care of our hearts leads to feeling better and living longer
Making healthy choices not only prevents heart disease, it sets a great example for our children, whose patterns for food, rest, and exercise usually follow their caregivers’. You’ll also feel more energized, less aches, and less stress. When we take care of our hearts, we take care of our whole selves.
Talitha Marty is a primary care provider at MCHC Health Centers, which includes Hillside Health Center and Dora Street Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits, and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. MCHC is a community-based and patient-directed organization that provides comprehensive primary healthcare services as well as supportive services such as education and translation that promote access to healthcare.