A Healthy Heart
Cardiovascular Basics
What is Cardiovascular
Disease?
A common term describing
a group of diseases that cause
a blockage of blood flow,
affecting circulation in the
heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, and legs.
Atherosclerosis
• Build up of plaque inside arteries
• Arteries become narrow
• Blood flow through
arteries limited
• Less oxygen reaches
body tissues
Coronary Artery Disease
• Usually a result of “hardening of the
arteries” or arteriosclerosis.
• Can lead to:
– Angina
– Heart attack
– Cardiomyopathy
– Irregular heartbeats
– Heart failure
Heart Failure
• Heart unable to pump sufficient
blood to the body
• Likely to develop in people who
have other types of heart disease
Stroke
• Artery to the brain
becomes blocked
• Results in injury to the
brain
Risk Factors for
Heart Disease
• Diet
• Smoking
• Cholesterol
• Alcohol
• High Blood
• Stress
Pressure
• Inactive Lifestyle
Diet
• An unhealthy diet high in fat and
cholesterol increases risk
• Make healthy food choices
Cholesterol
• High level is a major risk for
coronary heart disease, heart
attack, & stroke
• A total cholesterol of <200 mg/dL
will lower your risk
• A fasting “lipoprotein profile”
will tell you your numbers
Desirable
Cholesterol Numbers
Total: less that 200 mg/dL
LDL: less than 130 mg/dL
HDL: 40-60 mg/dL or greater
Source: American Heart Association
Factors for High Cholesterol
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Diet high in fat and cholesterol
Family history
Excess weight
Physical inactivity
Age and gender
What Can You Do?
• Eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise
High Blood Pressure
• Makes heart work harder
than normal
• Causes heart to enlarge and
weaken
• Shows no specific warning
signs
• (Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80
mmHg).
Factors for High Pressure
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Family history
Ethnicity
Gender
Age
Heavy salt
consumption
• Obesity
• Physical
inactivity
• Heavy alcohol
consumption
• Pregnancy
• Oral
contraceptives
What Can You Do?
• Eat lots of fruits, vegetables
• Choose fat-free & low-fat dairy
products
• Reduce sodium
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Stay physically active
Inactive Lifestyle
Physical inactivity combined
with overeating, excess weight,
& high blood cholesterol raise
your risk of heart disease.
What Can You Do?
• American Heart Association recommends
30-60 minutes of physical activity on most
days of the week
• Exercise helps to control
– Blood cholesterol
– Diabetes (blood sugar)
– Obesity (weight)
– Blood pressure
Smoking
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Doubles your risk of heart attack
Reduces oxygen in blood
Damages blood vessel walls
Contributes to high
blood pressure
• Contributes to low levels of
HDL cholesterol
What Can You Do?
• If you smoke, get the help you
need & QUIT!
Weight
• Excess body fat increases your
risk for
– High blood pressure
– High blood cholesterol
– High triglycerides
– Diabetes
– Heart disease
Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
• BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9
are healthy
• BMI of 25.0-29.9 – overweight
• BMI of 30.0 or greater – obese
• BMI of 40 or greater –
extreme obesity
What Can You Do?
If you are overweight,
losing 10 to 20 pounds
can help lower your
heart disease risk.
DIET
Exercise
Stress
Handling stress
poorly increases
your risk of heart
disease.
What Can You Do?
• Set realistic goals for yourself
• Reject excessive demands on your time
• Learn to cope
– try relaxation
– meditation
– exercise
– breathing techniques
Risk Factors
You Can’t Control
• Age
• Gender
– Men have greater risk beginning around age 45
– Women’s risk begins to increase at about age 55
– After menopause, more women die of heart
attacks
• Ethnicity
– African Americans, Hispanics, American
Indians, & Native Hawaiians have higher risk
Risk Factors
You Can’t Control
• Family History
– If immediate family member had heart attack
before age 65
• Diabetes
– Greater chance of developing atherosclerosis
– 80% of diabetics die from cardiovascular
disease
– Requires special precautions
Warning Signs
For A Heart Attack
• Uncomfortable chest pressure, squeezing or pain
lasting for more than a few minutes
• Pain that spreads to shoulders, neck, arms
• Chest discomfort with
– Lightheadedness
– Sweating
– Nausea
– Fainting
– Shortness of breath
Warning Signs
For A Heart Attack
• Women may experience more
subtle signs
– Angina – chest pain
– Difficulty catching breath
– Fatigue
– Swelling - especially ankles &
lower legs
Warning Signs for Stroke
• Sudden weakness in arm, hand, or leg
• Loss of feeling on one side of face or
body
• Sudden trouble seeing with one or both
eyes
• Loss of balance or difficulty walking
• Confusion or difficulty talking
• Sudden, severe headaches
Think!
Think about your current activities and
lifestyle choices. Imagine yourself in 10 to
20 years from a health perspective.
What do you look like?
What changes do you need to make?
References
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Bullock, Carol. Your heart a user’s guide. American Heart
Association. 2002.
Anatomy of the human heart. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13 2005, from
http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/anatomy2.html
Coronary heart disease explained. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2005,
from Http://nhlbisupport.com/chd1/chdexp.htm
Chronic disease fact sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2005,from
http://www.health.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/43,116091,214,html
Heart and stroke facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.americanheart.org.
Springhouse Corporation Staff. (2005). Anatomy and physiology
made incredibly easy. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins.