CONTROLLING YOUR
RISK FACTORS
Taking the Steps to a
Healthy Heart
The Uncontrollable Risk
Factors
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Increasing Age
Male Gender
Family History
What Are Your Controllable
Risk Factors For Heart Disease?
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Smoking
Abnormal Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes
Sedentary Lifestyle (Inactivity)
Unhealthy Body Weight
Unmanaged Stress
Tobacco Use
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Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of premature
death in US
Risk of CAD is 2-4 times higher than nonsmokers
Types of tobacco
Secondhand smoke
Take Action! Call 1-800-Quit-Now
Quit for Good
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S - Set a quit date
T - Tell people
A - Anticipate challenges
R - Remove tobacco
T - Talk to your doctor
CHOLESTEROL
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Heredity and lifestyle
Fatty deposits collect in arteries
Reduced blood flow
Increased risk of heart attack,
stroke, aortic aneurysm, &
PAD.
What are ideal cholesterol
(lipid) values?
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LDL Cholesterol “bad” < 70 mg/dL
HDL Cholesterol “good”
– 40 mg/ dL or higher for men
– 50 mg/dL or higher for women
Triglycerides < 150 mg/dL
How can you control your
cholesterol?
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Follow a heart healthy eating plan
Eat more fiber
Take your medications as prescribed
Exercise regularly
Maintain an ideal body weight
Control blood sugars
OBESITY
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127 Million adults are overweight, 60 M obese, 9 M
severely obese 1.
Obesity accounts for 280,000-350,000 deaths per
year
2nd leading cause for preventable deaths in U.S.
Waist Measurement and the Body Mass Index are
the recommended ways to estimate body fat.
Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2
Waist Circumference > 40” (102 cm) in men
Waist Circumference > 35” (89 cm) in women
Booth, F.W., et al., J Appl. Physiol. 88:774-787,2000.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
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BMI
BMI
BMI
BMI
18 to 24.9 is Normal
25.0-29.9 is Overweight
>30 is Obese
>40 is Extremely Obese
To Calculate…Multiply your weight by 703, divide
by your height in inches, then divide again by your
height in inches
Body Mass Calculator-americanheart.org/bodymass.
How Can You Help to Control
Your Weight?
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Follow a heart healthy
diet low in saturated fat
Watch portion sizes
Do not skip meals
Make sure you are
getting enough fiber
Drink plenty of water
Exercise daily
Set realistic goals –
weight loss should be
gradual (1-2 pounds per
week)
EFFECTS OF OBESITY ON
HEART DISEASE RISK
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Raises blood cholesterol and
triglyceride levels
Lowers HDL “good” cholesterol
Raises blood pressure levels
Increases your risk of developing
diabetes
HYPERTENSION=Silent
Killer
Blood pressure ≥ 120/80 mm Hg on at
least 2 separate occasions OR on
antihypertensive medication.
When left uncontrolled, it can damage
blood vessels leading to problems such
as heart and vascular disease, stroke
and peripheral arterial disease.
What can you do to lower
your blood pressure?
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Eat healthier: Limit the amount of fat
and salt in your diet
Lose weight if you need to
Begin a regular exercise program
Learn to manage stress
If you smoke, QUIT
Drink alcohol in moderation
Diabetes
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20.8 million people have Diabetes, 6.2 million
people are undiagnosed.1.
Diabetes is equivalent to having the diagnosis of
Heart Disease.
Insulin resistance is a characteristic of Type 2
Diabetes. Diabetes cause many metabolic
abnormalities causing vascular changes leading to
heart disease.
Diagnostic Criteria – Fasting blood sugars >126 mg/dL X 2 tests
“Pre-Diabetes”
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Also called impaired fasting
glucose.
A person with “prediabetes” will have a fasting
blood sugar of 100-125
mg/dL.
Increases a person’s risk for
developing Type 2
Diabetes, heart disease and
stroke.
A 5-10% reduction in body
weight will produce a 58%
reduction in developing
Diabetes.
What can you do to lower blood
sugars?
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Exercise daily
Take your medications as directed
Eat a diet rich in fiber and low in
refined carbohydrates
Weight loss
Physical Inactivity
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¼ of all adults have
completely sedentary
lifestyles.
More than 60% of all
adults are not regularly
physically active and
60% are overweight.
The Surgeon General’s
Report recommends
we are to accumulate
30 minutes or more of
physical activity on
most days of the week.
Benefits of ExerciseExercise…… is the only
treatment that improves all
risk factors for Heart
Disease!!!!!
Numbers that Count for a
Healthy Heart
Ideal Blood Pressure
<120/80 mm Hg
Fasting Blood Sugars<100
Body Mass Index<25
Waist Circumference
Women < 35”
Men < 40”
Physical Activity-30
minutes of moderate
intensity all days of the
week.
Strength Training at least
2 days per week
Cholesterol
– LDL cholesterol<70
– HDL cholesterol >50 for
women
HDL cholesterol >40 for
men
-Triglycerides<150
Other Contributing
Factors….
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Stress/Anxiety/Depression-Will
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Alcohol-Increases Triglyceride, body
increase heart rate and blood pressure.
weight and blood pressure. Excessive
alcohol can cause enlargement of the heart.
– Women: NO more than 1 drink per day
– Men: NO more than 2 drinks per day
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1 drink= 5 oz. wine, 1 oz. liquor or 12
oz. beer
FINAL THOUGHTS…
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“Our understanding of Heart Disease has
expanded enormously over the past 30
years. We know that combining necessary
medications with important lifestyle choices
dramatically decreases future risk of a heart
attack. You have the power to make these
choices every day of your life and to teach
the next generation the importance of
heart-healthy living !!”
Dr. Pearson, Dean/St. Mary’s Preventive Cardiology