Waiting for a magic pill that will provide a healthy heart and long life? The bad news is you'll wait forever for that impossible potion. The good news is you probably have far more control over your wellbeing than you know.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VALLEY HOSPITAL
Due to advancements in prevention and treatment, cardiologist Gerald Sotsky of Valley Hospital has seen a decrease in heart disease during his career.
Cardiologists Jeffrey Matican, MD, and Gerald Sotsky, MD, agree - remarkable tools for preventing and treating heart disease are available today. A noteworthy decrease in heart disease during their careers has been a marvelous development.
"Now we prevent heart attacks and treat people who have it," said Dr. Sotsky, chair of cardiac services for Valley Medical Group.
As for Dr. Matican, chief of cardiology and medical staff president for Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, he cares for a greater number of patients in their nineties than he could ever have predicted as a new doctor. These older seniors are now a regular part of his practice. This bit of news is excellent - the frequency of heart disease is down and life expectancy is up.
The first step to good heart health? Adopt healthy living, said Dr. Matican. Precipitous drops in the incidence of cardiac disease have coincided with widespread changes over the last 30 years, including less smoking, improvements in diet and a greater interest in exercise. "People are living longer because of lifestyle trends," he said.
Matican's words comprise both a simple equation and a stunning statement. In a very real way, your life depends on how you live it.
Knowing your risk factors for heart disease is crucial too, especially since most of an individual's health profile is subject to modification. In other words, the chances of getting heart disease can be reduced. Common risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, stress and family history, and there are numerous examples of their possible harmful effects. Smoking, which causes heart disease and a plethora of other disabling and deadly conditions, elevates blood pressure, increases fatty deposits in arteries, reduces exercise tolerance and increases the blood's tendency to create life-threatening clots. (Smoking has also has been proven to sicken or kill non-smokers.) Obesity promotes cholesterol build-up in artery walls and the onset of diabetes. Diabetes plays its own grim role in heart disease by damaging blood vessels. A family history of heart disease can mean a tendency to high cholesterol.
All adults should address smoking, exercise and diet as early on as possible, emphasized Dr. Matican. Next on the heart-healthy agenda is determining which of your risk factors need to be managed. Appropriately scheduled physical exams should start in your twenties. "You might not need an annual every year," said Dr. Matican, "but you certainly need a baseline." He added, "It's never too late to turn over a new leaf" as lowering risk factors is valuable at all stages of life.
Not consulting a physician until you feel ill or, even worse, have chest pain or shortness of breath can mean fewer options for your care, or a heart attack that could have been prevented.
"A lot of heart disease is sub-clinical, meaning it will not have symptoms until it's advanced," said Dr. Sotsky, who noted these obvious red flags generally don't present until a blockage of at least 70 percent exists. Checkups can reveal serious conditions, but they are also valuable in helping prevent heart disease or lessening its effects.
When it comes to your heart, your physician should be your most trusted advisor. He or she also is a gatekeeper to the advanced cardiac care available today, including diagnostic testing. One of many examples is coronary calcium scoring, in which a non-invasive scan shows if and how much calcified plaque is present in the coronary arteries. The results provide cardiologists with information about managing a patient's risk factors. Sometimes "the calcium score changes your mind about how aggressively a patient should be treated," said Dr. Sotsky.
Statins - drugs most often known to lay-people for their ability to lower high bad cholesterol - have been highly instrumental in reducing the frequency of heart attacks by fighting inflammation. "The most important effect of statin drugs is to promote plaque stability and prevent plaque rupture," said Dr. Sotsky, who prescribes the life-saving drugs in a variety of circumstances. Diabetics and individuals with coronary, carotid, or peripheral artery disease or a high calcium score are likely candidates.
Stress reduction is important, too, said Dr. Matican. "Stress in our society is also a major contributor to heart disease."
Stress not only raises blood pressure and blood sugar, it also sets off harmful behavior such as overeating and drinking. Traditional or chair yoga, tai chi or any kind of exercise can be helpful. Dr. Matican also recommends meditation or sitting alone quietly for 30 minutes. Both Englewood Hospital and The Valley Hospital have underscored the importance of treating all aspects of a person by offering growing specialized services in integrative medicine, a science-based discipline that embraces the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection.
Of no small consequence is the physician you charge with your care. Choose one who takes the time to explain things to you and commands your respect, said Dr. Matican. "The doctor-patient relationship is very important. You won't follow the advice of a doctor you don't trust."
FEBRUARY 5, 2015 BY KATHLEEN MATHIEU
http://www.northjersey.com/news/living-a-healthy-lifestyle-can-lower-the-risk-for-heart-disease-1.1265400 
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