Take Care of Your Heart

BY JAMES S. BURKHARDT, D.O.

             Every February we celebrate American Heart Month.  We also associate Valentine’s Day with the heart.  It is interesting and obvious that the heart shape of a valentine looks nothing like a real heart.  The heart shape must come from somewhere else and origins are debatable. 

            Aristotle thought the heart was the center of emotions.  Certainly, when we get excited, the heart beats faster.  Conversely, when we suffer a loss or experience “heart break, we feel that discomfort in the center of the chest.  Thus, it is natural to associate the heart with passion and love.  That is why taking steps to keep your heart healthy is important for you and your loved ones. 

            High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease.  The designation or diagnostic name hypertension, is very misleading.  It has nothing to do with tension or stress.  Rather, the blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries, stretching them past their healthy limit and causing microscopic tears.  Our body then kicks into injury-healing mode to repair these tears with scar tissue.  But unfortunately, the scar tissue traps plaque and white blood cells which can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries.

            Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you.  It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms.  One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet, about 21% don’t even know they have it.  Of those with high blood pressure, 69% are receiving treatment, yet, only 45% have their blood pressure controlled.

            By keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range, you are: reducing your risk of your vascular walls becoming overstretched and injured, reducing your risk of your heart having to pump harder to compensate for blockages, and protecting your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs. 

            Good news!  High blood pressure is manageable.  Even if your blood pressure is normal (less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic) and your goal is prevention only, the lifestyle modifications provide a prescription for healthy living.  These changes may reduce your blood pressure without the use of prescription medications:  eating a heart-healthy diet, which may include reducing sal,; enjoying regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, limiting alcohol, and avoiding tobacco smoke. 

            Every study on high blood pressure demonstrates that regular exercise will lower resting blood pressure. 

            Finding time in our over-scheduled lives for exercise is a challenge for all busy Americans, especially for those who are parents or are working full-time or both.  But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices it takes to carve out that time.  Anyone who has successfully managed to do so will  tell you how happy they are to have found the time.  They’ll tell you how much more energy they have, and how they are actually able to do more than before they started getting regular exercise.  So no more excuses!  Take an active role in determining your future.  You deserve to give yourself the gift of living well with good health. 

            The facts are clear:  exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk of heart disease.  Without the regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength and ability to function well.  Physical activity = living a longer, healthier life. 

            So, renew your goals and take care of your heart.  Your loved ones will thank you.