HEALTH & WELLNESS
HOW TO IMPROVE HEART HEALTH
Think heart disease is something you
don’t have to worry about until you
reach your golden years? Think
again. Plaque can begin to build up
in your arteries as early as childhood and
continue to progress throughout adulthood.
“The buildup of plaque in the arteries
is a condition called atherosclerosis,” says
Dr. Oliver Abela, director of interventional,
structural, and heart failure research at
AdventHealth Cardiovascular Institute. He
says atherosclerosis often leads to coronary
heart disease — the most common type of
heart disease, killing more than 370,000
people every year by heart attack or stroke.
“You can’t change some risk factors,
such as your age, family history and gender
(men have a higher risk for heart attack
than women),” Abela says. Some factors
you can control include:
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol/salt intake
• Managing cholesterol and saturated
fat levels
By AdventHealth
• Lowering blood pressure
• Increasing physical activity and
reducing stress
• Maintaining a healthy weight and diet
• Preventing or controlling diabetes
“It’s never too early to fight back against
heart disease,” Abela urges. The American
Heart Association urges adults to begin
taking preventive measures against heart
attacks as young as age 20.
Starting at age 20, visit your doctor
for heart-health screenings. Some of the
screenings include checking your blood
pressure, cholesterol, weight and body
mass index (BMI).
“If your doctor finds you have a
problem, like high blood pressure, he or
she will recommend steps you can take
to manage it before you develop more
serious issues,” Abela says. “These steps
may include a combination of lifestyle
changes and medications, such as those to
control your blood pressure or cholesterol
levels. How often you need to follow up
Checking blood pressure is prevention
against heart attacks.
with your physician depends on your risk
factors and overall health.”
To learn more about expert cardiovascular
care in the Tampa Bay area, visit
AdventHealthCardiovascularInstitute.com
or call (844) 235-6555. 9
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