Written by Shannon Clinton

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and Kentucky. About 10,000 of the state’s 4.4 million residents die from heart disease each year, making it the eighth-highest death rate in the nation, according to the American Heart Association.

But these poor statistics can be reversed. In fact, individuals make choices every day to reduce their risk factors, and the state’s top cardiovascular experts share the best advice for prevention, what to do in a potential emergency, and how to prevent an emergency. We’re here to help you figure out what treatment options could save you money should it occur. Protecting lives and maintaining quality of life better than ever before.

healthy tips

Focusing on a heart-healthy lifestyle should be the foundation of a person’s health journey, said Dr. Steve Lin, a cardiologist at CHI St. Joseph Health.

There are many ways to do that, he said, including learning about and following the American Heart Association’s “Eight Essentials” checklist for lifelong health. That list includes actions to keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels in optimal ranges, as well as other lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, managing stress, avoiding or quitting smoking, and getting enough quality sleep. Includes a selection of styles.

Regular health checkups with your primary caregiver or cardiovascular specialist are also important to know how your health indicators are doing. Prioritizing lowering these numbers can have many benefits, including the possibility of requiring fewer medical tests, procedures, and medications now and in the future.

Lin says regular exercise (at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week) can help you avoid health pitfalls associated with a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity and diabetes. said it is recommended.

“Regular exercise is one of the most effective treatments,” Lin says. “It has many benefits,” including boosting your mood and boosting your metabolism.

He recommends starting as far as your abilities allow and gradually progressing towards these recommended levels. Look for ways to incorporate a little exercise into your day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther from your destination.

Dr. Raymond Nelson, a cardiologist at Pikeville Medical Center, said even if your family has a strong history of heart disease, it’s inevitable that you will develop it too. We need to be more proactive and take risks seriously.

“We’re going to have to be more aggressive in our defense,” Nelson said. “One of the important things is to know your cholesterol level. We need to know what our cholesterol level is at an early age.”

Nelson recommends closely tracking your cholesterol levels with annual blood tests and managing them with medication if necessary.

She added that some risk factors for heart disease can be changed, including diet, habits and lack of exercise.

“This is not a death sentence,” Nelson said. “Just because your father had a heart attack doesn’t mean you’ll have one too. You can change it by changing environmental factors, and you can change it with medicines that your father didn’t have. I can do it too.”

Currently, there are drugs that are injected twice a year that are proven to lower cholesterol.

what to do in an emergency

Heart disease and life-threatening crises do happen, but there are effective steps to take against potential cardiac emergencies, says Acting Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine and Director of the Gill Cardiovascular Institute said Dr. Vincent L. Sorrell, acting on his behalf. UK Healthcare.

Soler points out that women often have different heart attack symptoms than men, which often delays them receiving treatment and further worsens their chances of recovery and survival.

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women, claiming the lives of one in three women every year,” he said.

More people should take the time to learn CPR, help others in cardiac arrest emergencies, and know how to use defibrillators, which are often available in public places these days. .

Sorrell said 60% of people who experience cardiac arrest in the community do not receive CPR. Defibrillation is successfully performed within one minute and the survival rate is approximately 90%.

Soler said people wait an average of three hours after experiencing symptoms before seeking help. These symptoms may include tightness or fullness in the center of the chest, or discomfort in the shoulders, neck, jaw, teeth, back, stomach, or arms that lasts more than 15 minutes.

“We know that ‘time is a muscle,'” he said. “Because when you have a heart attack, your muscles die.”

He advises anyone who notices symptoms to call 911 as soon as possible.

People who are allergic to aspirin or who are not susceptible to side effects from aspirin may benefit from taking aspirin right away. If you’ve had a blockage in the past and are prescribed nitroglycerin, it can also buy you time until you can get emergency care, he said.

Loved ones of someone experiencing potential symptoms of a cardiac event should insist that the person seek emergency treatment. During this time, encourage them to relax and loosen tight clothing while monitoring for lightheadedness, changes in mental status, or loss of consciousness.

Dr Lin said not everyone who experiences a heart attack will show obvious signs such as chest tightness, which occurs in 30% of men and 50% of women. Fatigue and shortness of breath can also be warning signs.

His best advice is to “seek attention immediately.”

If a stent is placed in the blocked blood vessel within an hour of the onset of a heart attack, there is a good chance of a full recovery, Lin said. If 6 hours have passed, there is a moderate chance of recovery, but after 12 hours, the chance of full recovery is very low.

treatment and recovery

At UofL Health, interventional cardiologist Dr. Chandiran Rangaswamy has an optimistic view of modern heart disease treatments.

“Almost all (heart disease) is treatable. The question is how well you recover.”

Heart attacks (loss of adequate blood flow to the heart muscle) can be treated with angioplasty or bypass surgery, depending on the severity of the blockage. Congestive heart failure can also often be treated with medication, depending on the severity. Arrhythmias can be treated with medications or ablation procedures, depending on the type.

Recent innovations, such as drug-eluting stents (DES) placed during angioplasty, deliver drugs directly to the artery wall, preventing the growth of scar tissue and reducing the risk of narrowing of the stented area after treatment. It will be reduced, Rangaswamy said. Robot-assisted surgery can also help.

Additionally, cardiac rehabilitation can realign the heart after a heart attack, heart disease-related symptoms, or the diagnosis of certain arrhythmias. Rangaswamy said these programs help patients live longer through diet, exercise programs and smoking cessation.

Innovations in cardiovascular care are helping patients fight heart disease, Lin said.

“This field has the most innovation in every subspecialty of cardiovascular medicine, from device therapy to medicine,” he said.

These include a type of balloon angioplasty used in Europe and soon to be available in the United States, including chemotherapy to prevent artery restenosis. Drug-coated stents may also include chemotherapy to prevent restenosis and keep patients asymptomatic after placement, Lin said.

New locations for safer placement of pacemaker leads are also showing promise. Patients with unexplained syncope or stroke can be implanted with remote monitoring devices to better pinpoint the cause.

Lin added that drugs that were not available five to 10 years ago to treat heart failure are now fully effective.

Although stress has not been clearly quantified as a cause of heart disease, it is known that the stress hormone cortisol can cause insulin resistance, inflammation, poor food choices, and sedentary tendencies. Because of this, it is important to actively manage stress, not only for your mental health but also for your cardiovascular health. health.

And it’s not all based on medications and technological interventions.

Lin sees a common thread among patients who are over 90 years old and still healthy. Most are normal-sized women who are grateful, have purpose in life, are active, have strong personal connections with friends and family, and enjoy life.

Sticking to this way of thinking and lifestyle may be the secret to longevity.

“I think that aspect of their health is a really important part of their overall cardiovascular health,” Lin said.