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Features for Senior Citizens
Recipe for a Healthy Heart Provided for Valentine's
Day
UCLA Medical Center plans National Heart Failure
Awareness event
Feb. 9, 2007 - With Valentine’s Day just around the
corner, it’s a great time to take a look at the state of your heart and
some tips for a healthier heart.
“Coronary heart disease remains one of the leading
causes of death for both men and women in the United States,” said Dr.
Gregg C. Fonarow, UCLA’s Eliot Corday Professor of Cardiovascular
Medicine and Science, professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School
of Medicine at UCLA, and director of the Ahmanson–UCLA Cardiomyopathy
Center.
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Features for Senior Citizens |
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“However, healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent
disease and markedly improve a person’s quality of life.”
10 Tips for a Healthy Heart
1. Do not smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking markedly increases
the risk of heart attacks and heart failure. Quitting smoking rapidly
reduces your cardiovascular risk.
2. Exercise. New recommendations are to
exercise for 30 to 60 minutes daily. Exercise helps you maintain a
healthy weight and keeps your heart strong and disease free.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity has
been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and
diabetes. A healthy diet and exercise program is the best way to
maintain a normal weight.
4. Get your cholesterol levels checked. High
cholesterol does not cause any symptoms until it is too late. The only
way to know if you have a healthy cholesterol level is to get it
checked. If you have not had your levels checked in the past year or
two, get them checked now.
5. Maintain a healthy cholesterol level. The
ideal level for your LDL (“bad” cholesterol) is less than 100. Certain
individuals need to achieve even lower LDL cholesterol levels. Keeping
your HDL (“good” cholesterol) levels up is also important. Know your
lipid levels and talk to your physician about the best plan of action to
keep your cholesterol levels ideal.
6. Get your blood pressure checked. Many
patients with hypertension are not aware that they have this condition.
There are very well-tolerated and effective treatments for high blood
pressure.
7. Maintain a normal blood pressure. High
blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and
heart failure. Your systolic blood pressure should be below 140 and your
diastolic blood pressure below 90. Certain individuals need to achieve
even tighter control of their blood pressure.
8. Take your medications as recommended by your
physician. Many patients stop taking their prescribed medications
without discussing this with their physicians. Studies show that
individuals who stop their cardiovascular medications are at much higher
risk for heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and reduced survival
compared with those who adhere to their medical regimen.
9. Take omega-3 fatty acids. Studies show
that getting one gram a day of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, or
taking supplements such as fish oil capsules, is associated with a lower
risk of heart disease.
10. See your doctor. Regular medical
follow-up is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy and avoid
problems down the road.
Editor's Note:
UCLA Medical Center will hold a National Heart
Failure Awareness event from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.
15, in the lobby of 200 Medical Plaza. Exhibits will include information
about heart failure, drug and device therapy, heart disease risk
factors, women’s heart disease, diet instruction, and organ donation.
The event is free and open to the public.
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