FEBRUARY IS AMERICAN HEART MONTH
To Maintain a Heart Healthy Lifestyle Follow These Tips:
- Maintain a healthy weight and incorporate fresh vegetables, fruits, and proteins into your diet
- Aim to exercise 150 minutes minimum per week
- If you are a smoker, stop smoking
- Visit with your healthcare provider at least once per year
What is the difference between coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease?
Coronary artery disease refers to the pathologic process affecting the coronary arteries (the blood vessels of the heart). Coronary heart disease includes the diagnoses of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction (or heart attack), and silent myocardial ischemia.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE?
There are a variety of risk factors for coronary heart disease, including but not limited to, elevated cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes. Most people don’t “feel bad” with high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes. It is important to have a yearly appointment with your doctor to screen for these conditions. Incorporating exercise (at least 150 minutes per week) and smoking cessation will also decrease your risk of developing coronary heart disease.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR ME TO SEE A DOCTOR, EVEN IF I DON’T “FEEL BAD”?
Very important. It is imperative for individuals to be aware of factors that can help prevent coronary heart disease, irrelevant of their age. It is estimated that coronary heart disease is responsible for one-third of deaths of individuals over the age of 35. It is also estimated that half of middle aged men and one-third of middle aged women will develop some manifestations of coronary heart disease in their lifetime.
Is it time for your annual appointment?
Call (225) 246-9240 to schedule with one of our Internal Medicine Physicians today!
The DASH Diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a lifelong approach to healthy eating that’s designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension), by encouraging you to reduce the sodium in your diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that can help lower your blood pressure.
For more information on the DASH Diet and how it works, check out one of our Baton Rouge Clinic health tip videos below!
Hypertension
Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) is a condition that affects about 1 out of every 3 adults. Having hypertension increases your risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and heart failure. In the United States, almost 1,000 deaths occur per day that can be contributed to hypertension. By decreasing these risks, we are able to promote longer, healthier lives.
For more information on Hypertension, check out this Baton Rouge Clinic health tip video below by one of our Internal Medicine Doctors, Dr. Casey Carlisle.