HEART BYTES
Heart Byte #1
♥ ♥ ♥
Do you know that Heart Disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in the U.S.?
Prevention is the key:
KNOW THE RISK FACTORS:
1.
High Blood Pressure
2.
High Cholesterol
3.
Diabetes
4.
Being Overweight
5.
Inactivity
6.
Smoking
7.
>55 years of age
8.
Family History of early heart disease
Heart Byte #2
Women still see breast cancer as their major health risk when 400,000 American women
will die of heart disease this year. 42% of women die within one year of having a heart
attack!
Heart Byte #3
One person dies from a heart disease approximately every 34 seconds.
$400 Billion is the amount of money the U.S. loses in medical expenses and lost
productivity as a result of heart disease.
Heart Byte #4
Put your hand on your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest?
Many people do, but the heart is actually located almost in the center of the chest,
between the lungs. Would you know what to do if someone’s heart stopped beating? If
someone collapsed near you? Take a CPR course soon and learn the signs of a heart
attack and stroke. KNOW WHAT TO DO. The following are the classic Signs of a
Heart Attack: Uncomfortable pressure and/or squeezing; fullness, tightness; burning;
aching in the chest, neck, inside arm, shoulder, upper abdomen, between shoulder blades.
These signs can be continuous or intermittent. They are often accompanied with
shortness of breath, weakness, clamminess, sweating and nausea. Women experience
more fatigue and/or abdominal discomfort. Men and women can experience similar, but
also very different symptoms when a heart attack strikes.
Warning signs for women:
cold sweats
jaw pain, pressure or numbness
excessive sudden fatigue
new pain or pressure in the neck or upper back
chest pain, pressure or fullness
shortness of breath
pressure or fullness in the upper abdomen
nausea or feeling of lightheadness
Warning signs for men:
shortness of breath
chest discomfort
upper body discomfort in shoulders, neck or arms
dizziness
sweating or nausea
Heart Byte #5
In one day, blood travels a total of 12,000 miles. That’s four times the distance across the
U.S. from coast to coast!!!! Blood moves around so fast in our bodies that you’d think
nothing would be able to stick to the walls of our blood vessels. Unfortunately, fat does
find ways to lodge itself against the walls of vessels. Before you know it. YOUR doctor
is telling you that you have atherosclerosis . . . or HEART DISEASE! In fact, 50% of
Americans will die of heart disease! It’s the #1 Killer of both Men and Women in this
country and directly related to the lifestyle choices that individuals make every day!
Heart Byte #6
The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime. That’s
enough to fill more than three (3) super tankers. Not bad for a 10 oz. pump! Our
challenge is to keep blood pressure under control. Since high blood pressure usually
displays no symptoms, most individuals are unaware that they even have a problem until
it’s too late. That’s how high blood pressure got the name of “silent killer”. It’s
estimated that 50 million Americans have high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure
increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, blindness and dementia. The
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has issued new recommendations for what is
considered “normal” blood pressure: below 120/80. Any reading from 120/80 to 138/88
is considered “prehypertensive”. The risk for heart disease begins to rise once blood
pressure creeps above 115/75. This doesn’t mean that an individual needs to take
medication, but individuals with “prehypertension” should lose weight, start and maintain
a regular exercise program and limit their salt and alcohol intake. If you know that you
have high blood pressure, please make sure that you follow your prescribed treatment
program . . . even if you feel fine! Quit smoking, eat a diet high in fiber, get plenty of
physical activity and take your medication as directed.
Heart Byte #7
The average heartbeat is 72 beats per minute. In the course of one day, that’s about
100,000 times. In one year, the heart beats almost 38 million times, and by the time we
reach 70 years of age, on average, it has beat 2.5 billion times! Every day our heart
pumps 2,000 gallons of blood to nourish the 60 trillion cells in our bodies. If an
individual is carrying extra weight, the heart may have to beat a little faster and a little
harder to get the blood circulated. The extra weight strains the heart, increases blood
pressure, can lead to diabetes and increased cholesterol levels. WHERE you carry the
extra weight makes a difference too! Studies have shown that “apple” shaped people . . .
individuals with larger waist lines, are at a higher risk for heart disease than “pear
shaped” individuals who carry their weight lower. Exercise helps not only with
decreasing body weight but it will also help reduce stress levels, help with diabetes
management and assist with increasing the “good” cholesterol lipid HDL. In fact, if
exercise could be made into “pill form”, it would be THE MOST prescribed medication!
Heart Byte #8
Whether or not you are at risk for heart disease depends on a variety of factors. Some,
like your age, sex and family history are beyond your control. Others, like whether you
smoke, are completely within your power to change. If you wonder about YOUR
personal risk for developing heart disease, take a moment to answer the following
questions:
I am a Male or a Menopausal/Post Menopausal Female.
I am over 50.
I have an existing heart condition.
I have a family history of heart disease.
I have a family history of high blood pressure.
I don’t know my blood pressure level.
I have diabetes.
I have a family history of diabetes.
I am more than 10# overweight.
I have a family history of high cholesterol.
I consume more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks daily.
I eat eggs, red meat, fried and/or fatty foods frequently.
I smoke cigarettes.
I don’t exercise regularly.
I experience a high stress level.
I rarely have time to relax.
Heart Disease is cumulative . . . the more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of
developing heart disease. Review how you answered the above statements and identify
those risk factors that are within your control . . . BEGIN to reduce your risk by gradually
eliminating those behaviors that YOU can control!
♥
♥ ♥
The Numbers Games
We hear all the time, “What I don’t know won’t hurt me?”…but for 50% of the ATRISK population, what do you think is the very 1st symptom that they have heart
disease? It’s DEATH! Only 50% of individuals with heart disease know they have
it and survive their initial heart attack…so we feel EVERYONE SHOULD BE IN
THE KNOW!
It’s a numbers game and knowing and understanding YOUR numbers does
matter! You can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease by monitoring the
following numbers and working toward achieving the optimal levels:




Total Cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol
HDL Cholesterol
Triglycerides
♥
♥
♥
♥
Blood Pressure
Fasting Blood Sugar
Body Mass Index
Waist Circumference
♥ ♥ ♥
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL
Most Desirable < 200 mg/dl
>240 mg/dl
Risky 200 – 239 mg/dl
Danger Zone
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance that is made in the liver. How much cholesterol YOU
produce is affected by your genes and by what you eat. Cholesterol is essential for good health
and is necessary for producing cell membranes, certain hormones and plays a key role in a
number of bodily functions.
Cholesterol comes in two (2) forms:
Low density lipoprotein (LDL): This is the “bad” cholesterol and can build up in your arteries
causing inflammation and clot formation.
High density lipoprotein (HDL): This is the “good” cholesterol that assists in removing the bad
cholesterol by carrying it to the liver where it’s processed and eliminated.
The American Heart Association reports that over 107 million Americans have borderline high or
higher cholesterol. In at least one major worldwide study of some 29,000 men AND women,
researchers found that an elevated cholesterol level was among the TOP risk factors for heart
disease. But, studies also show that lowering your cholesterol can reduce your risk of having a
heart attack by as much as 40%.
You can’t tell by looking at someone if they have high cholesterol because it’s not just high in
sedentary, overweight individuals. Some individuals aren’t overweight, exercise regularly and still
have high cholesterol. These individuals are genetically prone to make too much LDL. If you’re
one of them, you will probably need to continue to eat a low-fat diet AND take medication to
reduce your risk. For the rest of the population, experts tell us that we’re driving up our
cholesterol with a high-fat diet and lack of exercise.
LDL CHOLESTEROL
Most Desirable < 100 mg/dl
>190 mg/dl
Risky 160 – 189 mg/dl
Danger Zone
If your LDL is high, the first line of defense is to change your diet – a strategy that can
bring results in as little as 8 weeks! Here are a few suggestions:

Cut out the foods that are high in saturated fats. This type of fat comes from
animal products like beef, lamb, pork as well as high-fat dairy products such
as butter, ice cream, high-fat yogurt or whole milk. Limit your meat portion
sizes and choose low-fat cheeses and 1% or skim milk.

Replace tropical oils in your diet such as palm, corn and coconut with hearthealthy oils such as olive, canola and grape seed.

Increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet. Sources of soluble fiber
include flax, cooked dried beans, peas, oatmeal, strawberries, apples,
carrots, broccoli and brussel sprouts.
Currently, there are 5 classes of drugs designed to lower cholesterol. The most
frequently prescribed drugs are known as the “statins” (Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Mevacor,
Pravachol, Zocor). These drugs slow the body’s production of cholesterol and increase
the livers ability to remove LDL from your bloodstream. These medications, like all
drugs, can cause some side effects but serious problems are rare. Regular follow-ups
with your doctor are needed. While most doctors agree medication can help lower LDL
cholesterol, they also agree that people can out eat any medication prescribed so it’s
vital to take prescribed medications, make the best of dietary choices 80% of the time
and maintain or start a regular exercise program! But…
HDL CHOLESTEROL
Most Desirable > 50 mg/dl
Risky < 40 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol or “good” cholesterol appears to scour the walls of your blood vessels cleaning
out excess cholesterol that might otherwise be used to make the plaques that cause coronary
artery disease. So, when your HDL level is measured, you’re actually getting a good idea on how
vigorously your blood vessels are being scrubbed free of cholesterol!
HDL levels < 40 mg/dl result in an increased risk for coronary artery disease EVEN in people
whose total cholesterol and LDL levels are normal. So, if higher is better …here are a few
suggestions to increase your HDL level:

Exercise aerobically. Any exercise that raises your heart rate for 20-30 minutes such
as walking, jogging, cycling, and stair climbing may be the most effective way to increase
HDL levels. Recent evidence also suggests that the duration of exercise, rather than the
intensity is the most important factor in raising HDL levels.






Stop smoking.
Cut trans fats from your diet. Trans fats not only increase LDL cholesterol levels,
they also reduce HDL levels. Trans fats are usually present in many of your favorite
snack and prepared foods so READ YOUR FOOD LABELS!
Alcohol. One or two drinks per day can increase HDL levels… But we’re not
encouraging you to take up drinking! Too much alcohol can raise your triglycerides
and also lead to other substantial health problems.
Increase the monounsaturated fats in your diet. Fats such as canola oil,
avocado oil or olive oil and the fats found in peanut butter can increase HDL levels
without increasing total cholesterol.
Add soluble fiber to your diet. Adding soluble fiber results in both a reduction of
LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. For best results: 2 servings per
day!
Other dietary choices: Cranberry juice has been shown to increase HDL levels;
fish and food containing omega 3 fatty acids; and in postmenopausal women (but
not in men or pre-menopausal women), calcium supplementation can increase HDL
levels.
Drug therapy for raising HDL cholesterol levels has been less successful than for reducing LDL
cholesterol. To date, niacin appears to be the most effective drug at raising HDL levels but it can
be difficult to take because it can cause flushing, itching and hot flashes.
TRIGLYCERIDES
Most Desirable < 150 mg/dl
>500 mg/dl
High 200 – 499 mg/dl
Danger Zone
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood, a major source of energy and the
most common type of fat in your body. When you eat, your body uses the calories it
needs for quick energy. Any EXTRA calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in
fat cells to be used later. The excess calories are stored as fat regardless if you eat
carbohydrates or protein!
When triglyceride levels are high, it’s unclear whether high levels directly increase your
risk for heart disease, BUT high triglycerides are often part of a group of conditions
called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood
pressure, high blood sugar, too much fat around the waist, low HDL and high
triglycerides. Metabolic syndrome DOES increase your risk for heart disease as well as
diabetes and stroke!
Common causes of high triglycerides are: obesity, poorly controlled diabetes, an
underactive thyroid, kidney disease, eating more calories than you burn and drinking too
much alcohol. High triglycerides, like high cholesterol can also be caused by genetics!
Modifying your lifestyle is the main therapy for lowering triglycerides:
 If you’re overweight, cut back on your calories and increase your activity level to
reach your ideal body weight.
 Reduce the saturated and trans fats and cholesterol content of your diet.
 Get up and move for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
 Make sure you’re using mono-unsaturated fats.

Increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish (mackerel, lake trout, herring,
sardines, albacore tuna and salmon) is a good source. A fish oil supplement
containing EPA and DHA fatty acids can also be taken after discussing it with
your personal physician.
♥ ♥ ♥
BLOOD PRESSURE
Desirable < 120/80
140/90
Prehypertensive 120-139/80-89
High >
Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic or top number)
and when the heart is at rest (diastolic or bottom number). One in every four Americans
has high blood pressure which is a risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease and
stroke. They call high blood pressure “the silent killer” because so many people are
walking around with it and don’t even know it. Here are a few ways to control your blood
pressure:

 Lose weight. Extra weight you carry is like bricks in a backpack and the extra
weight puts strain on every part of your body.
 Follow the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Eating a
lower-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy foods can lower your
systolic number 8-14 points. A typical DASH eating plan includes: 4-5 servings
of vegetables per day; 4-5 servings of fruit per day; 7-8 servings of grains; 2-3
servings of low-fat or fat free dairy; 2 or fewer servings of lean meat, poultry or
seafood; 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds or beans per week and 2-3 servings of fats
or oils per day.
 Get active. 30 minutes of brisk walking or another aerobic activity can trim 4-9
points off your systolic pressure.
 Monitor your sodium intake. Foods in their natural state have less sodium
than those that are processed. Salt your food lightly at the table not during
cooking where the taste is lost. Read food labels and choose lower-sodium
brands. Spice up foods with fresh and dried herbs instead of salt.
 Watch your alcohol intake. Limiting alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks per day can
reduce your systolic pressure by 2-4 points.
Remember … if you have been prescribed medication for your high blood pressure, you
need to take it everyday and monitor your blood pressure to make sure that your
medication is doing its job! And,
FASTING GLUCOSE
Desirable < 100 mg/dl
mg/dl
Prediabetes 100-125 mg/dl
Diabetes > 126
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin or can’t use
the available insulin efficiently. Insulin is vital in helping the body use digested food for
growth and energy. An estimated 20.8 million American have diabetes and each year
1.3 more aged 20 and older are diagnosed with the disease. Individuals with diabetes
have an increased risk of developing heart disease. In fact, one medical study found that
people with diabetes who had no other health risk factors for heart disease were 5 times
more likely to die of heart disease than those without it!
Some risk factors for diabetes can’t be changed, such as family history, advancing age
and ethnic heritage. However, evidence suggests that people who are at risk for
developing diabetes may reduce their risk by controlling weight and exercising.
“Prediabetes” is a warning sign that you may be at risk for getting type 2 diabetes AND
adults with prediabetes may be more than 2X as likely to die from heart disease as
people without blood sugar problems. You have prediabetes is your fasting blood
glucose level is between 100-125. The good news is that lifestyle changes may help get
your blood sugar back to normal or delay diabetes. You can:



Make healthy food choices.
Limit how much fat you eat and try to eat foods high in fiber.
Try to eat the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal. This helps keep
your sugar steady. Carbohydrates affect blood sugar more than other nutrients.
Carbohydrates are found in sugar and sweets, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables,
milk and yogurt.
 Watch your weight. Losing just a small amount of weight may help.
 Get active. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise on most days.
 Get good medical care.
Staying healthy, making the best food choices and getting regular exercise can help
prevent prediabetes and if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes you also need to make
the best food choices, exercise regularly, monitor your blood sugars, take prescribed
medication, visit your doctor regularly and,
BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
Healthy Weight 18.5 – 24.9
Overweight 25 – 29.9
Obese >30
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions







58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million Morbidly Obese
Eight out of 10 over 25 years of age are Overweight
78% of American’s not meeting basic activity level recommendations
25% completely Sedentary
76% increase in Type 2 Diabetes in adults 30-40 years old since 1990
80% of Type 2 Diabetes related to Obesity
70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
Obesity tends to run in families suggesting a genetic link. But families also share
common dietary, physical exercise, attitude and lifestyle habits that may also contribute
to obesity. The probable root cause for our modern day obesity epidemic is eating too
many calories for our energy needs. If a person eats 100 more food calories a day than
he/she burns off, that individual will gain 1 pound in a month and about 10-12 pounds in
a year.
BMI is one way to determine whether an adult is overweight. It is calculated by dividing a
person’s weight (in kilograms) by his or her height ( in meters, squared). To have YOUR
BMI calculated for you, go to Medical Center of Plano’s website at
www.medicalcenterofplano.com and select HEALTH RESOURCES and scroll down to
the “Self Assessment Tools”. From there, select Body Mass Index.
A person’s body mass index is a comparison of a person’s height and weight. BMI may
be an easy and inexpensive screening tool, but BMI does not take into account age,
gender or muscle mass. Nor does it distinguish between lean body mass and fat mass.
That’s why health professionals need to do further assessments to fully evaluate health
risk. Additionally, these assessments would include measurements of body fat
percentage and waist circumference.
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
Ideal
MEN
< 40
Ideal WOMEN
<35
Where you carry your body fat may be as important as how many extra pounds you
have. People who carry too much fat around the middle (the so-called “apple” body
shape) rather than the hips and buttocks (the “pear” body shape) are more likely to have
health problems. Too much abdominal fat puts you at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, high
blood pressure and heart disease. In a study of more than 33,000 men, every 2-inch
increase in waist size raised the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by up to 17%
over 10 years, independent of other risk factors.
To properly measure your waist, just use a soft tape measure around your bare
midsection at your belly button. Find your upper hip bone and measure the abdomen
above the bone. The tape should be snug, but not digging into your skin.
The 1st step toward shrinking your waistline is to start eating a healthier diet and start
exercising. Preventing any further weight gain and slowly reducing weight into a
healthier range should be the goal. Simply dropping 5-10% of your body weight can
cause dramatic improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar.
There is no quick fix to being overweight. To lose weight, you have to burn more calories
than you take in. Our suggestion would be to focus on health, not a specific DIET
(Doing, Idiotic, Eating, Tricks).
 Make healthy food choices. If 80% of the time you’re making the best food
choice, 20% of the time you can indulge.
 Eat a little less. It’s usually not what we eat…but how much we eat.
 Move more.
 Seek out support to keep you on track.
Websites
www.americanheart.org
www.hearttruth.gov
www.everydaychoices.org
www.medicalcenterofplano.com
www.womenheart.org