Seven health factors/behaviors for the “ideal” heart health candidate, against which you can assess your own health parameters and lifestyle, have been described by the American Heart Association (AHA) as part of the AHA's goal for 2020 to improve the heart health of the American public. Lifestyle factors play a major role in the cause of heart disease, including myocardial infarct (heart attack), which is a major cause of death and disability. Also, the general health of the public has not improved as evidenced by increasing rates of diabetes and obesity.
Anyone can measure their own health parameters and lifestyle against the seven factors discussed here and work towards improvement. Fortunately, the factors are interlinked, and changing your lifestyle in any one of them will usually result in an improvement in one or more of the others.
Quit Smoking
The ideal heart health candidate has never smoked or has quit more than a year ago. We have all been made aware of the dangers of smoking, but if you are a smoker you also know how difficult it is to quit. Support programs and other interventions are widely available and recommended for those who have been unable to “go it alone.” The important first step is to make the decision that you really want to quit.
Ideal Body Mass Index
Everyone should aim at a body mass index (BMI) of under 25. This index indicates ideal weight according to height. It can be calculated as follows: weight in kilograms divided by height squared (or weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared and multiplied by 703). Or use an online calculator. A person with a body mass index of over 25 is overweight and over 30, obese.
Getting the right amount of exercise and following a heart healthy diet will contribute to achieving and maintaining an ideal BMI.
Exercise
The AHA recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. You can join a gym or get on an exercise cycle, but walking and jogging are just as good. The minutes need also not be in stretches of half-an-hour or longer. Every minute counts – even running up a flight of stairs, getting up and dancing to a favorite tune or doing some gardening. The important thing is that your heart rate should increase and you must get slightly out of breath for it to count as exercise.
Heart Healthy Diet
A heart healthy diet includes the following:
- a minimum of added sugars (avoid especially sweetened fizzy drinks and sweet snacks);
- natural fibers with reduction in refined grains;
- less meat high in fat and more fish, especially oily fish high in omega 3 fatty acids;
- a low salt intake by avoiding highly salted snacks and not adding additional salt onto a plate of food;
- at least four or five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables per day. Recently released findings in the large European EPIC study was that eating eight or more portions of fresh fruit and vegetables daily reduced the risk of fatal heart disease by 22% compared to eating fewer that three portions.
Cholesterol Levels
Total cholesterol should ideally be under 200mg/dL. Have your fasting cholesterol checked regularly by your health care provider. Exercise and the correct diet should maintain cholesterol at normal levels but those who have abnormally elevated levels, often genetically determined, may need medication.
Normal Blood Pressure
Average normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg but for ideal heart health, the AHA would like to see blood pressure maintained below this level. Have your blood pressure checked annually. Lifestyle factors contributing to high blood pressure (hypertension) are obesity, high alcohol intake, physical inactivity, smoking, high salt intake, and also stress and anxiety. Managing one of more of these factors can usually treat slightly elevated blood pressure. Hypertension with blood pressure at levels of around 160/100 is known as the "silent killer" and must be treated with medication prescribed by your doctor.
Blood Glucose Levels
Fasting blood glucose should be less that 100mg/dL. Blood glucose can be assessed with a simple finger prick test by your local health provider. Elevated blood glucose is found in diabetes, a risk factor in developing heart disease, and must be treated. Mildly elevated blood glucose can point to the possibility of developing diabetes in the future but this can be prevented by timely lifestyle changes. Normal blood sugar levels are maintained by a diet low in sugar, refined grains and fats and high in fruit and vegetables.
Live Longer and Better with a Healthy Heart
It's never too early or too late to start working towards changing your lifestyle to maintain a healthy heart and enjoy a good quality of life in old age. These lifestyle changes are also essential for anyone who has already had a myocardial infarct (heart attack) or who has a parent who suffered an infarct.
Sources
Phend, C (2010)AHA sets sights on 'Ideal heart health'. Med Page Today. January 2010
Walsh, N (2011) Fruit, veggies cut risk of IHD in large study. Med Page Today. Janurary 2011.
Frieda Paton - A published nurse author, Frieda has variety in her life being a part-time nurse, business owner and craft producer.
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