reducing your risk of heart disease
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REDUCING YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE. Margaux Guidry, MA, CSCS University of Connecticut American Heart Association. Outline. Define Heart Disease & Stroke Risk Factors: High blood pressure Stress Physical inactivity Goals for your blood pressure, cholesterol and diet. Heart Disease. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
REDUCING YOUR RISK OF
HEART DISEASE
Margaux Guidry, MA, CSCSUniversity of Connecticut
American Heart Association
Outline
• Define Heart Disease & Stroke
• Risk Factors:– High blood pressure
– Stress
– Physical inactivity
• Goals for your blood pressure, cholesterol and diet
Risks for Heart Disease• Excess body weight (obesity)
• Inactivity
• High cholesterol and lipids
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Diabetes
What is Heart Disease?
• Myocardium infarction (heart attack)– Prolonged blockage of blood to an area of
the heart resulting in muscle tissue damage.
• Symptoms of a heart attack– Pressure in chest, fullness, squeezing pain.
– Pain spreading to shoulders, neck, or arms
– Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea
Heart Disease Risk Factors
• High blood pressure
• Family history
• Cigarette smoking
• High LDL and total cholesterol levels
• Low HDL levels
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Stress
• Physical inactivity
Who is at Risk for Heart Disease?
• Prevalence with age
• Men at greater risk before age 50
• Women’s risk after menopause
• Women more likely than men
to die from a heart attack
What is a Stroke?
Tissue damage to area of the brain
due to disruption in blood supply,
depriving that area of the
brain of oxygen.
• Sudden – weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or
leg (usually on one side of the body)
– dimness or loss of vision (usually one eye)
– Loss of speech or trouble talking or understanding speech
– Unexplained, severe headache
– Dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden fall
Symptoms of a Stroke
• Infarction – blockage in cerebral artery that cuts off or reduces blood supply
– Thrombosis – blood clot
– Embolus – piece of plaque becomes lodged in the artery
• Hemorrhage – happens suddenly. Less frequent than infarction but more damaging and more likely to cause death.
Causes of Strokes
Stroke Risk Factors
• Risk after age 55
• More common in men but women
more likely to die from them.
• Highest among blacks and lowest
among Asians.
• Family history
• Heart has to work harder.
• Since heart muscle is working harder, it can become enlarged.
• Wear and tear on the arterial wall can increase the likelihood of lipid and calcium deposits adhering to the arterial wall. This leads to hardening of the arteries.
Why is High Blood Pressure a Risk Factor?
Why is Stress a Risk Factor?
• Exaggerated increases in blood pressure, heart rate, catecholamines, corticosteroids
• High levels of these hormones can damage heart and blood vessels
• Presence of epinephrine (a catecholamine) increases the formation of clots.
Why is Obesity a Risk Factor?
• Body weight at least 20%
more than desirable weight body mass index (BMI) waist size increases
risk of heart disease
Blood Lipids (Fats)• LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Total Cholesterol
• HDL (good) cholesterol
• Triglycerides
Have blood fats checked every
5 years after age 20
LDL Cholesterol
Goal depends on risk status
• Less than 130 mg/dl for most people
Less than 100 mg/dl if diabetes
or heart disease
HDL Cholesterol
• Low HDL (good cholesterol)
increase heart disease risk
• Less than 35 mg/dl is too low
• If diabetes > 45 mg/dl - men
>55 mg/dl - women
Factors That Increase Cholesterol
• Inactivity
• Saturated and trans
fat, cholesterol
• Smoking
• Heredity
Hypertension• Systolic (upper number) - measures the
force blood exerts on artery wall when
the heart beats
Diastolic (lower number) - measures
the force on the arteries
between heart beats
General Principles• Habits throughout life affect
heart and overall health
• Good health depends on overall
eating pattern - not just one meal
• Any modifications depend on
one’s health, preferences
and culture
LDL Cholesterol
• Major foods that increase LDL:– Saturated fats– Trans fatty acids– Cholesterol (lesser extent)
Ways to lower LDL:• Polyunsaturated fats
• Monounsaturated fat when
substituted for saturated fat
• Soluble fiber and soy protein
(lesser extent)
Weight loss in some
people
Fat Consumption• Less than or equal to 30% of calories
• Saturated and trans fatty acids less than 10% of calories or 7% if already have
heart disease or diabetes
Words for Look For WhenAvoiding Trans Fats
Hydrogenated Vegetable
Oil
Partially Hydrogenated
Vegetable Oil
Maintain Healthy Weight
• Limit foods high in calories
– Less high sugar foods
– Less than fat• Avoid emphasis on low-fat
or fat-free foods
Maintain Healthy Weight• Exercise at least 30-60 minutes
most days
• Watch less T.V. and sit less
• Balance calories consumed
and calories expended
Summary• Consume a variety of fruits,
vegetables and grains
• Include non-fat and low fat dairy,
fish, legumes, poultry and
lean meat
Control weight
Questions?
Margaux Guidry, MA, CSCS
University of Connecticut
School of Allied health
Phone: 860-486-5975
Email: [email protected]
WEBSITES
• www.americanheart.org
• www.justmove.org
• www.americaonthemove.org