February is American Heart Month, the perfect time to consider the health of your ticker. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Americans could do a better job of taking care of their hearts. heart disease kills about 610,000 people in the U.S. each year, more than any other disease. It’s commonly known that exercise and eating well are keys to heart health. But there are unrelated conditions and lifestyle habits that can lead to heart disease. • Stress. Stress can have powerful effects on the body. Some stressors, like learning a new skill, are positive. But the majority of stress people experience has negative effects on the body. The American Heart Association says that, while stress can harm the heart, researchers still haven’t quite figured out the role stress plays in causing heart disease. Even for those who manage stress well, keeping up with life in our increasingly fast-paced world can still take its toll. • Sitting all day. We hear a lot about how important exercise is to keep your body and mind in shape. Studies also show that sitting the majority of the day increases your chance of developing heart disease. Luckily, this heart risk factor is easily remedied with increasing physical activity. Dr. Sarine John-Rosman, a cardiologist with Beaumont Health in Grosse Pointe, said there are new guidelines with respect to exercise. “The recommendation is 150 minutes of exercise per week. We know that exercise isn’t always defined as going to the gym or an exercise class. Physical activity includes everything, including walking, climbing a flight of stairs, vacuuming, gardening, bowling or dancing. Anything that gets you up and gets your heart rate up,” she said. • Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea puts enormous stress on the heart. Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime sleepiness, memory problems and irritability. Being overweight or obese and even structural features, such as having a big chin or tongue, may also make you more likely to develop sleep apnea, according to the American Lung Association. People who have sleep apnea tend to also have other conditions that are associated with the disease, such as high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation (a kind of irregular heartbeat) or pulmonary hypertension. • Influenza. The flu can increase the risk for heart problems stemming from the inflammation it causes. People who had the flu were six times more likely to have a heart attack within the first seven days of their condition being confirmed with laboratory testing, according to a 2016 study. • Family history. Quitting smoking, eating right and exercising are all steps to help thwart heart disease. Still, if you have a history of heart disease in your family, you’re still at risk of developing the disease. It’s important to know your numbers, John-Rosman said. “How much do you weight? What’s your ideal weight? What’s your blood pressure? What’s your BMI?,” she said. “High blood pressure is the silent killer. If you come from a family where there’s a history, it’s important to pay attention to these numbers.” Source
