Dr. Sushan Yang
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Many patients who have experienced a cardiac event wonder how it will affect their future.
“Does this cut my life for years?”
“Can I go back to the activities I enjoyed before?”
Patients are often surprised to be able to return to a truly satisfying lifestyle by making medications and other changes.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States, killing more than 869,000 people annually. However, it is encouraging and hopeful to know that 80% of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events can be prevented by lifestyle changes.
Keep moving
As a cardiologist, I always advise patients to stay active as much as possible.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week. But even small daily changes can make a difference by getting up and walking across a room instead of being prone to sitting, or standing instead of sitting.
Try a Mediterranean diet
With so many popular diets at our disposal, choosing the “best” regimen can be confusing. I always recommend a Mediterranean diet that has been scientifically shown to improve cardiovascular health.
Fill most of the dish with fresh fruits and vegetables and add whole grains and legumes. Use olive oil to limit dairy products and fats. Choose a lean fillet of meat. Heart-friendly dietary recipes and other resources are available from the American Heart Association’s heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating and PeaceHealth’s Healthy You blog (peacehealth.org/healthy-you).
It also advises patients to limit their sodium intake. Sodium contributes to high blood pressure and fluid retention. Look beyond the salt shaker when reducing sodium. Side dishes, processed foods, frozen foods, canned foods, and snacks contain large amounts of hidden sodium. Cheese and deli meat are also big criminals of sodium. You’ll be amazed at how much salt is in a simple sandwich!
Stock up on fresh ingredients
Access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables can be difficult for some patients.
Peace Health works with a number of community organizations to improve access. PeaceHealth is partnering with Lane County FOOD on a Produce Plus program that provides free fresh produce and grain products to patients at some PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics in Eugene. PeaceHealth also provides FOOD financial support for Lane County to transport food from Eugene warehouses to more than 30 local food banks throughout Lane County, with more fresh local and remote food banks. Allows you to store various agricultural products. Partnerships with the Centro Latino Americano, Huerto de la Familia, South Lane School District and La Plaza programs support the community’s vegetable fields. The Florence Farmers Market and PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Group operate the VeggieRx program, enabling participating healthcare providers to prescribe agricultural products and supply vouchers available at the Florence Farmers Market.
Differences between men and women
Cardiovascular disease can appear differently in men and women, and it is important to note these differences.
Men usually show “classical” symptoms when they have a heart attack. Chest pain that spreads to the jaw and arms, shortness of breath, intense sweating, nausea, and vomiting.
Female symptoms may be more subtle. Chest pain may be less noticeable and may not be accompanied by shortness of breath or severe sweating. You may feel indigestion or anxiety. As a result, women are often misdiagnosed and can delay life-saving treatment.
It is also important to track symptoms and pay close attention to changes. For example, it is important to notify your doctor if you notice that your chest pain is more frequent, more severe, and less active.
I would like to add a final reminder so as not to delay care. Yes, the healthcare system has been challenged to cope with the proliferation of patients with COVID-19, but PeaceHealth and the heart team of our community have taken appropriate precautions and patients throughout this pandemic. Continues to see and treat. Prevention is more important than ever to maintain a healthy heart.
Dr. Sushan Yang is a cardiologist at the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute at the Peace Health Sacred Heart Medical Center in Riverbend, Springfield. Based in Vancouver, Washington, Peace Health is a non-profit Catholic health system that provides care to communities in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. For more ways to stay healthy: peacehealth.org/healthy-you.
