Central Carolina HEALTH - Summer 2011 - (Page 12)

heart smart Give Your Heart a Hand To learn The Top To-dos for a healThy hearT, jusT counT To five As a teenager, did you ever scribble important reminders on your hand? Nowadays, your to-do list is likely more substantial than “practice at 3” and “history paper due tomorrow.” But between “pack lunches,” and “pick up the dog from the groomer,” another, important set of to-dos can sometime fall by the wayside: the actions that can help promote a lifelong healthy heart. Here are five items to put on your to-do list today and every day—marker optional. Slash salt intake Processed foods, which tend to be high in sodium, make up a good portion of the American diet, and so excess sodium adds up quickly. Mahmoud Atieh, MD, board-certified cardiologist on staff at Central Carolina Hospital, cautions that excessive salt intake can worsen blood pressure levels and raise your risk of having coronary disease or a stroke. “The risk is there even for those who don’t have a preexisting heart disease,” he says. Because there is no health benefit to high levels of dietary sodium, the American Heart Association has been taking steps to advise Americans to reduce their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams by 2020. “Many people consume two, even three times that amount of sodium in a day,” says Dr. Atieh. “We need to improve people’s diet by helping them select foods with a lower sodium content. Instead of eating chips, people should snack on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. They should choose fresh or frozen foods over canned foods because typically canned products are saturated with sodium. Most importantly, read the labels so you have an idea how much sodium you’re ingesting each day.” Don’t smoke, or try to scale back It’s no secret that smoking hurts your heart—and just about every other body part. Hands down, physicians agree: Don’t smoke! Smoking damages blood vessels all over the body and hurts the lungs. Because it’s addictive, quitting can be difficult, but there are tools to help even long-term smokers cut down or quit. Dr. Atieh says, “Of course, it’s great if you never began smoking. But for a longtime or heavy smoker, cutting back slowly is still helpful— try smoking one less cigarette for a week until you can cut back on another.” He reiterates that even if you fail on your first try, that is one step closer to reducing your risk of heart disease. Move it: exercise enough Like any other muscle in your body, your heart will weaken if you don’t work it out with regular exercise. How much is enough? The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate vigorous activity such as walking, or 75 minutes of more intense movement such as running. Again, a little is better than none at all. “Any activity is an improvement,” says Dr. Atieh. “If you can begin with a brisk walk for five or 10 minutes each day and gradually increase, that is a good start. Once you begin to feel better and stronger, you’ll get excited about your progress and want to challenge yourself even more. Exercise is important for people with heart disease, but it’s even more important if you have another disease, such as diabetes.” 12 | S U M M e r 2 0 1 1 2020 By the year The American Heart Association wants to reduce the number of deaths by heart disease and stroke by 20 percent by 2020, while helping people to live healthier.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Summer 2011

Central Carolina Health - Summer 2011
Table of Contents
Healthbeat
Fit for Life
Help When They're Hurting
Health Smart
Q+A
Women and Stroke

Central Carolina HEALTH - Summer 2011