Volume 7, Number 5

SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE HEALTH SERVICE

February 2003

Take Lifestyle to Heart

Wouldn't it be great if we could make a single New Year's resolution that would encompass everything we need to do to stay healthy?  While one resolution can't cover everything, we can reduce our risk for a considerable amount of poor health if we resolve to embrace a heart-healthy lifestyle.  Heart disease, which is the leading cause of death and disability among women, is largely preventable if we pay attention to things we can control like diet, smoking, physical activity, and stress.  Even risk factors that are partly inherited such as obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can be modified through lifestyle.  The other good news is that as we make changes in out lifestyle for the sake of our hearts we also reduce our chances of suffering a variety of other conditions like diabetes, stroke, lung disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer.

      Heart disease is most commonly associated with men.  Actually the death rate for coronary heart disease has declined sharply for men over the past 20 years whereas for women it has barely changed.  There are other startling statistics for women with heart disease.  Women are almost twice as likely as men to die within the first year after suffering a heart attack  We are also at greater risk for second heart attacks and for disability due to heart failure.  For all these reasons it is important for women to take steps to reduce their risk.

      Many lifestyle-related risk factors have been studied individually, but few studies have measured the effect of a combination of heart-healthy behaviors on the risk for heart disease.  Recently, Harvard researchers reported that the incidence of coronary events was more that 80% lower among women who had generally healthy lifestyles than among those who did not.  In light of what we know about the long-term benefits of making the right lifestyle choices, we think the New Year is a good time to reaffirm some key strategies for protecting your heart and reducing your risk for many other health problems.

chc

Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

·         Don't smoke.  Avoid secondhand smoke.

·         Maintain a healthful weight.

·         Maintain a healthful blood pressure.  -under 140/90.  Lose excess weight, restrict/avoid alcohol, limit sodium (salt) intake, get enough calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and take medication if necessary.

·         Watch your blood cholesterol level.  A desirable total cholesterol level is under 200.  At minimum, your HDL cholesterol should be over 45.  Ideally, it should be over 60.  Your LDL should be below 130.

·         Accumulate at least 30 minutes of brisk excercise most days of the week.

·         Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

·         Restrict fat to about 25% of your daily calories (i.e. 42 grams per day for the averages 5'4", 120-pound women).

·         Learn how to prevent or manage stress.

·         Get adequate sleep.  Recently published studies found that women who slept fewer than 6 hours at night on a regular basis were 39% more likely to develop heart disease.  Likewise, nine or more hours of sleep per night was associated with a 37% higher risk of heart disease.

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