Is Your Heart at Risk? Understanding Key Cardiac Indicators

Your heart, the center of your circulatory and cardiovascular system, pumps 2,00 gallons of blood, beats around 115,000 times daily, and has its own electrical system to control its rhythm called the cardiac conduction system.

Keeping it in good health literally allows you to live a longer, fuller life, and with heart disease remaining the number one cause of death in America, we need to better understand the risk factors that can lead to medical problems. Let’s explore the risk factors that lead to heart disease, thetypes of issues that can develop, and how we can avoid them.

Goodyear, Arizona, residents looking for ways to stay heart healthy can find assistance from Dr. John Monroe and his medical team at Healthy Life Family Medicine.

Common risk factors for heart disease

Five health factors account for up to half of the incidence of heart disease, so it’s important to get these under control:

Blood pressure

Hypertension occurs when your systolic and diastolic levels (the pressure on artery walls during contractions and the pressure between beats) remain higher than 130/80 mmHG  (millimeters of mercury) and affects almost half of American adults.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is important for many functions in the body, but having higher levels of bad cholesterol, known as low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), than healthy cholesterol increases the risk of heart conditions.

Weight

Carrying too much or too little weight can both negatively affect your heart’s health.

Diabetes

Diabetes results from hyperglycemia, a condition where you have too much blood glucose in your bloodstream, and affects many systems in your body, including your heart.

Smoking

An alarming number of people still smoke despite the many hazards to their bodies, and global research shows it’s one of the biggest contributing factors to endangering heart health.

Types of heart problems

Heart disease can take on many forms, including conditions like:

• Arrhythmia: abnormal heart rhythm and rate due to electrical conduction problems

• Valve disease: when heart valves tighten or leak, creating problems in blood flow

• Artery disease: affects the blood vessels that direct blood to your brain and body

• Deep vein thrombosis: blockage in the veins that return blood to the heart

• Heart failure: a pumping problem that leads to shortness of breath and fluid buildup

These illnesses cause symptoms like angina (chest pain), dyspnea (shortness of breath), dizziness, fainting, and fatigue. 

Blood vessel blockages in different areas of the body also cause signs such as leg pain or cramps, leg sores that don’t heal, leg swelling, numbness or weakness in the face or limbs, and problems with talking, seeing, or walking.

Ways to stay healthy

A combination of lifestyle changes and the management of existing medical problems can help improve your heart’s health. 

Quitting smoking and other tobacco use, making dietary changes to reduce cholesterol, reducing stress, getting better rest, maintaining a healthy weight, and controlling illnesses like diabetes can help you live better and longer.

Increased physical activity also keeps the heart pumping, so get away from your desk for a while to get in some exercise. Protect your heart and live longer with some crucial changes and getting treatment for medical problems. 

For help keeping your heart in great shape, schedule an appointment with Dr. Monroe and Healthy Life Family Medicine today.