Chronic Diseases

Heart Failure

Health experts say there are many common myths about heart failure. One is that if you’re thin with normal cholesterol, then you’re not at risk. However, lack of exercise and smoking can lead to high blood pressure, which is just as bad as troublesome cholesterol from fatty foods. Another myth is that women get breast cancer and men get heart disease.

In fact, heart disease kills many more women than breast cancer. A third myth is that failure of the heart is something only old people have to worry about, but doctors have treated cases of teenagers who had a predisposition to poor heart health.

How do you know if you are at risk for heart failure? Smoking, eating diets high in fatty foods or cholesterol-rich foods and not exercising enough are lifestyle causes that may contribute to heart disease. You have probably heard that genetics can play a part as well, but health experts stress the importance of minimizing risk through smart lifestyle choices.

If you’re not sure what you should be eating, then a simple trip to the dietician or logging onto a website like Top 10 diets can help get you on track, alerting you to problems in your existing diet. It helps to have a motivational exercise buddy too, so find one and get to the gym or take daily walks around the block just to keep yourself in tip-top shape. Staying healthy doesn’t have to be a hassle or a compromise.

To check if you may have heart health problems, your general practitioner can run several tests to be sure. Many people avoid getting tested in advance because they fear invasive pokes and prods, but most of these screening tests are very non-invasive. For instance, one test, which is a “stress test,” has you walking on a treadmill for a specific interval of time through several intensity levels, while an IV-injected tracer moves through the blood, indicating possible obstructions or strain. Another test, the EKG, simply monitors your heart rhythms through electrical wires with adhesive ends stuck to your chest, arms and legs.

An “Echocardiogram” is simply an ultrasound image taken of your chest, which is as painless as a photograph. Most people are familiar with the usual hypertension/blood pressure test done with a cuff around your bicep. The most invasive test, which is recommended for people with a genetic predisposition, is the “Catheriterization,” which is a small tube inserted into the artery, which may open an obstruction or insert dye to see where the problem spots are.

If you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, then you’ll need to adjust your diet considerably. An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil supplements. Dr. James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas recommends at least 1 gram of fish oil per day and as much as 4 grams for people with high triglyceride levels. “Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent,” he explains. In addition, you’ll be trading in eggs for oatmeal, red meat for fish and hummus instead of chip dip.