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Heart Smart: Understanding Your Heart Health and Risk Factors
Heart Smart: Understanding Your Heart Health and Risk Factors
When you approach 40 years old, you might start to think about health issues you didn't worry about when you were younger. One important area to pay attention to is your heart. Looking at your lifestyle habits, understanding your risk factors, and making small changes can help improve your heart health over the long term. In short, what you do today matters. In fact, it matters a lot.
Understanding your heart health and risk factors now can help you avoid potential problems down the line. So, if you're 40 or younger, take a few minutes to brush up on heart health awareness.
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Heart Smart: Understanding Your Heart Health and Risk Factors
Heart Smart: Understanding Your Heart Health and Risk Factors
Heart Smart: Understanding Your Heart Health and Risk Factors
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When you approach 40 years old, you might start to think about health issues you didn't worry about when you were younger. One important area to pay attention to is your heart. Looking at your lifestyle habits, understanding your risk factors, and making small changes can help improve your heart health over the long term. In short, what you do today matters. In fact, it matters a lot.
Understanding your heart health and risk factors now can help you avoid potential problems down the line. So, if you're 40 or younger, take a few minutes to brush up on heart health awareness.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease can be caused by different factors, like high blood pressure, unhealthy eating, and not getting enough exercise. These risk factors can make it hard for the heart to work properly and lead to serious health issues. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the United States, a statistic that's remained unchanged for over 70 years. If you're 20 years or older, it's a good idea to schedule annual heart health checkups with your doctor.
But before we discuss heart health screenings and ways to prevent heart problems, let's first take a look at what we mean by heart disease.
CAD or CHD?
The two heart conditions that are commonly discussed are coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The key difference is that coronary heart disease is the result of coronary artery disease. However, it's common for healthcare professionals to use the terms interchangeably since both diseases share many of the same symptoms.
CAD occurs when the coronary arteries (tiny tubes that deliver blood to the heart) start to get smaller due to a build-up of fatty substances and cholesterol. As the arteries become narrower, the heart muscle weakens. Over time, the arteries can become fully clogged and blocked, leading to a heart attack. Similarly, clogging or blocking of arteries that supply the brain with blood can lead to a stroke.
Heart attack
A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart is restricted or blocked in the arteries for a long enough period to cause damage to part of the heart muscle. CAD is the most common cause of heart attacks.
Common warning signs of a heart attack include:
- Cold sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Nausea and lightheadedness
- Pain radiating to the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
Stroke
A stroke occurs when brain tissues don't get enough oxygen because blood flow to the brain is reduced. Within a few minutes, brain cells begin to die, which can lead to significant problems and even death.
The two main stroke types are ischemic (uh·skee·Muhk) and hemorrhagic (hem·uh·RA·jik). An ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage in the arteries that supply the brain with blood, while a hemorrhagic stroke occurs when there is bleeding in the brain. A third condition called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or mini-stroke, is also possible. TIAs don't last long but could be a signal of a more serious problem or condition.
Warning signs of a stroke can come on suddenly and may include:
- Trouble walking
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
- Confusion and difficulty speaking or understanding others
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body, including the face, arm, or leg
- Severe headache without a cause, typically described as 'the worst headache ever'
If you experience any of the above symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Understanding the risks of heart disease will help you make necessary lifestyle changes to help your long-term heart health. Some risk factors for heart disease are out of your control, including:
- Age: As you get older, your risk of heart disease naturally increases.
- Gender: Men are at a higher risk of developing heart disease earlier in life than women, while in older men and women the risk is similar.
- Family history: If your family has a history of heart disease, your risk increases.
- Ethnicity: African Americans, Hispanics, and South Asians are at a slightly higher risk.
Other risk factors for heart disease include:
- High cholesterol: Since cholesterol creates plaque build-up, high levels increase the risk of heart disease. You can lower your cholesterol by eating heart-healthy foods.
- High blood pressure: Hypertension or high blood pressure can also damage your arteries and lead to heart disease.
- Smoking tobacco (or any other substance): Smoking dramatically increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
- Drinking alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can weaken the blood vessels and contribute to developing heart disease.
- Diabetes: If you have diabetes, your body may struggle to control blood sugar levels properly, increasing heart disease risk.
- Diet: a poor diet high in unhealthy fats and sugars can increase the risk of heart disease by raising cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
- Obesity: it can raise the risk of heart disease because it puts extra strain on the heart and can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Lack of physical activity: Not getting enough regular exercise can lead to obesity, which can also create problems with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
- Stress: Going through stressful situations and dealing with chronic stress can also contribute to developing heart conditions and make other risk factors worse.
- Heat exposure: Extended exposure to high temperatures can lead to dehydration, which can cause your body to work harder in an effort to cool down. This can result in dizziness and, in extreme cases, fainting.
Fortunately, many of the risk factors mentioned above can be managed with healthy lifestyle choices, like eating heart-healthy foods, not drinking or smoking, and exercising regularly. Visit your doctor for further advice, as prescription medications and other measures are sometimes required to prevent heart disease.
Find Out Your Heart Health & Risk Factors
A great first step to understanding your heart health is to take a short quiz to identify your risk factors. The Bayer® Aspirin Heart Risk Assessment Online Educational Tool will give you a personalized summary highlighting your risk factors for developing heart disease within the next ten years. Created in partnership with Huma Therapeutics Limited, the tool can help you evaluate where you are on your health journey and talk with your doctor at your next check-up.
The Role of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines in Heart Health
If you have risk factors for heart disease, you need to be mindful when taking some OTC medicines. For example, in some people, pain relievers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen may make your body hold onto fluid. The extra fluid might raise your blood pressure and increase your heart’s workload.
If you have already had a cardiac event such as a heart attack or ischemic stroke, you should talk to a healthcare provider about taking aspirin. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots that might cause a stroke or heart attack. Aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.
Safe Use Tips & Takeaways
Heart Health Takeaways
Understanding your heart's health and risk factors is essential for a long and healthy life. You can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease by making small lifestyle changes and scheduling regular heart health checkups. Take the time to assess your heart health awareness and make the necessary adjustments. Your heart will thank you for it!
