February is National Heart Month. The focus is usually on adult heart problems such heart attacks or heart failure. Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. and accounted for nearly 700,000 deaths in 2020. Heart disease in adults is most often due to coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). There are other types of heart disease: 

• Arrhythmias – heart beats that are faster or slower than normal or irregular 
• Cardiomyopathy – disease of heart muscle which can be weakened or unusually thick
• Congenital Heart Defects – present at birth, like a hole in the heart
• Heart Infections – bacteria in the blood can settle on a heart valve or virus can infect the muscle

As you can see, heart disease comes in a lot of different forms, not just heart attacks or heart failure. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, which we’ve heard about more since the COVID-19 pandemic. Those infected with a COVID-19 infection are 16 times more likely to get myocarditis.  

Certain lifestyle factors can help prevent heart disease and keep blood cholesterol levels in check. Regular exercise helps with weight, blood pressure, relief of stress, and emotional well-being. Intense exercise can help raise your HDL-cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol which removes fat from the walls of blood vessels. Eating a diet low in saturated fat can help lower LDL-cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL-Cholesterol are related to fatty deposits in your blood vessels and, if severe enough, blockage.

It is also good to know your risk factors. These include cholesterol as mentioned above, but also:

• weight
• gender
• age
• if you have diabetes
• family history
• if you are a smoker
• if you lead a sedentary lifestyle
• blood pressure

Yes, you cannot change your genes, but you can work on most of the other factors! You can make sure your diabetes and high blood pressure are treated. Check with your provider to make sure it is safe for you to exercise and if it is, add that to your daily routine. Lastly, a good diet with lots of green leafy vegetables, lean meats, and low in salt can help.

A person’s race and ethnicity should not increase the risk of heart disease, but unfortunately according to the numbers it is a factor. The American Heart Association reports that non-Hispanic African Americans are the most affected, with non-Hispanic Whites in second. One of the reasons given is the lack of access to quality health care. You can have a positive impact on your health by advocating for yourself and getting routine care. 

Resources American Heart Association Fact Sheet on Cardiovascular Disease, https://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/@ml/documents/downloadable/ucm_429240.pdf