Heart Health: Do You Really Need to Give Up Your Favorite Food and Exercise Crazy?

Organizer:

During an average life, the human heart can beat 2.5 billion times. Each heartbeat pushes life-giving blood to every part of the body.

Given its important function, it seems wise to keep your mind strong and healthy.

Kia Williams MD, Associate Medical Director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield in North Carolina, said the social isolation brought about by Covid-19 could pose special challenges to heart health.

“You may not be very active, you may not be choosing the best food,” she said. “Don’t give up on your health. We should get to the other side of this, and you want to be able to get out and live your best and healthiest life.”

Studies show that Covid-19 can also affect the heart and its function, so Williams is highly advised to be vaccinated.

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for about a quarter of mortality. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, QCity Metro talked with Dr. Williams about the importance of heart health, especially for black Americans.

Q. How much of your heart’s health is genetic and how much can it affect you?

It’s a little bit of both. Indeed, many studies are underway to investigate genetic factors, but primarily heart disease can be prevented and controlled. Our diet has a big impact. A high-salt diet rich in processed foods has a significant effect on heart disease. Lack of sedentary lifestyle, exercise and physical activity can also increase your risk. Therefore, heart disease may have a biological or genetic predisposition, but much is under our control to prevent it and improve the outcome of heart disease. There is.

Q. What is the warning sign that something may be wrong?

The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease (CAD) or obstruction of blood vessels that nourish the heart. The most common sign of CAD is chest pain. A doctor or immediate health care provider whenever chest pain or tightness persists, is exacerbated by exercise or activity, or is associated with shortness of breath, nausea, fast heartbeat, dizziness, or sweating. Chest pain can represent other symptoms such as heartburn, so these symptoms may be ignored. Unless you’ve met your doctor, don’t assume it’s just something you can ignore.

Q. Yes. However, no one wants to go to the emergency room of a hospital just because they are told that they have heartburn.

It’s better to know than not to know. If you have severely relentless chest pain, it is a sign of seeking emergency care. However, if you have mild symptoms and are uncertain (if you are short of breath during normal activity and resolve immediately after rest, or if you feel sick overall), you should definitely consult your doctor. It is an index.

Q. Is it true that heart disease can cause different symptoms in men and women?

Okay. For men and women, the most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain. A relentless elephant sits on the chest, squeezing and crushing chest pain. However, women may have more atypical or unusual symptoms of a heart attack than men (extreme malaise, nausea, vomiting, neck pain, and pain in the arms). If you’re feeling sick, it’s best to call your GP to help you sort out your symptoms.

Q. How is high blood pressure related to heart disease?

Think of it as you do a garden hose. If there is a twist or blockage somewhere, there will be a lot of pressure for the water to get over the blockage. The heart is the muscle that pumps blood through our body. Therefore, in the presence of an obstruction, the heart must work harder to drain blood to important areas such as the kidneys and brain. As that muscle has to work harder, it gets bigger, and it can’t function as well. That’s what we call heart failure. When blood pressure is high, the pressure inside the blood vessels rises due to the blockage of the blood vessels and the hard walls along the blood vessels, and over time, it opposes those high pressures as well as the organs that need to receive proper blood flow. Your heart must be pumped.

Q. How about obesity?

Obesity is certainly a factor in heart disease. We know that obesity and excess body fat release certain inflammatory markers (chemicals) into the body that can adversely affect the heart and blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease. Overweight also puts extra strain on the heart and can cause heart failure. It is important to eat healthy and avoid a sedentary lifestyle. Like any muscle, you need to train your heart. If we stand up and are not moving, that muscle may weaken over time and not function as expected.

Q. How much exercise do you need for heart health?

The recommendation from the American Heart Association is at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. This equates to 30-60 minutes of activity on most days of the week and does not have to be all at once. Many of us are at home now (for a pandemic), so hopefully we can fit in 10 minutes a couple of times a day to reach this goal.

Q. What is an “activity”? Is dishwashing counted as an activity?

It’s better than sitting on the sofa and eating potato chips. I want to raise my heart rate and move my body. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, moving, jogging, biking, swimming, and playing sports outside with your child, is considered an active type of activity.

Q. I’m hearing that you don’t have to sweat in the gym to move.

Whatever way you can get exercise to work for you and your lifestyle and your interests, that’s where you need to focus. Some people like to go to the gym, but it brings them joy. The most important thing is to find the activity you like and do it regularly. If you enjoy playing tennis, swimming, softball or jogging, one of these types of heart rate-raising activities will protect you.

Q. What about stress, and how do you avoid it, especially now with Covid-19?

Stress releases hormones called stress hormones into the body. This is useful if you are at risk. If you face a hungry bear in the woods, you need to run away immediately. However, long-term stress and high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol can adversely affect overall health, especially the heart. Therefore, everything you can do to relieve that stress will help your heart health, such as engaging in relaxation activities, meditation, deep breathing, or activities that make you happy. Whether it’s a craft or a hobby, when you do the type of activity you enjoy, they remove your mind from your daily grind and promote good hormones, or endorphins, that help relieve stress. I will help.

Q. What is a good diet for the heart?

A healthy diet is one that is low in refined sugar, low in carbohydrates, and low in fat. But rather than focusing on what you don’t eat, it’s better to focus on what you should eat: fresher fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. It’s a good idea to start by focusing on reducing cholesterol and increasing a healthy diet that helps protect your heart’s health, rather than being restricted.

Q. What is lean meat?

Focus on fish and chicken as fat is primarily on the skin and can be removed. However, there are also lean lean meats such as beef and pork. The important thing is not to be too fat.

Q. So, is there an oxtail?

It’s difficult to get rid of fat from the oxtail. (Laughs) Sometimes it’s okay. You don’t want to rob yourself, but make sure you’re increasing those healthy options with your primary source of nutrition. It brings me to another point of knowing your number. In other words, knowing blood pressure, knowing cholesterol level, knowing blood sugar level. These numbers can be wake-up calls, as heart disease is often a silent killer. We don’t know there are risk factors until it’s too late. .. That is, a heart attack or a stroke.

Q. That’s why I smoke. What more can you say about the dangers of smoking?

We definitely know that smoking is associated with heart disease, heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. So it’s not good for your health. What’s new is that we have many new and effective treatments to help you quit. Even inhaling vapors can have a detrimental effect on your health. Therefore, if you are smoking, e-cigarettes, or other tobacco-related products, be sure to discuss with your doctor how to get out of them and protect your heart.