HEALTHY BODY, HAPPY HEART
IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH
Every moment of the day,
your heart is pumping blood
throughout your body. In silent
moments, you can hear
the thump-thump-thump of its
demanding work. Do you take
your heart for granted? Most
of us will have heart trouble at
some point in our lives. Heart
disease is the number one killer
of women and men in the
United States. But you can take
steps now to lower your risk.
“About 1 out of 3 people in
America will die of heart disease,”
says NIH heart disease
expert Dr. David C. Goff, Jr.
“And about 6 out of every 10
of us will have a major heart
disease event before we die.”
Heart disease develops
when the blood vessels supplying
the heart become clogged
with fatty deposits, or plaque.
After the blood vessels narrow,
blood flow to the heart is reduced.
That means oxygen and
nutrients can’t get to the heart
as easily.
Eventually, an area of
plaque can break open. This
may cause a blood clot to form
on the plaque’s surface. A blood
clot can block blood flowing
to the heart. That can cause a
heart attack.
A heart attack happens
when a vessel supplying the
heart is blocked and the heart
can’t get enough oxygen, which
leads to death of heart muscle.
The three major risk factors
for heart disease have been
known since the 1960s: smoking,
high blood pressure, and
high cholesterol levels. These
were identified in NIH’s Framingham
Heart Study, a longterm
study of people in Framingham,
Massachusetts.
“If we could eliminate cigarette
smoking, elevated blood
pressure, and elevated cholesterol
levels, we could eradicate
about 9 out of 10 heart attacks
in our country,” says Dr. Daniel
Levy, a heart specialist at NIH
who oversees the Framingham
Heart Study currently.
The study has also uncovered
other risk factors, including
diabetes, obesity, and physical
inactivity. Levy’s research
team is now hunting for genes
that may be risk factors for
heart disease. By understanding
the factors that play a role
in heart disease, scientists hope
to find new ways to prevent
and treat it.
Get Tested
Early heart disease may not
cause any symptoms. That’s
why regular checkups with
your doctor are so important.
42 Healthy Living | Fall Issue | 2017