The prevalence of high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease, and heart attacks in Black people is still among the highest in the world and is steadily increasing. Why are we still dying from these conditions? Are they preventable? According to Health Day News, coronary artery disease and the like can definitely be prevented.
Here are five ways you can prevent yourself from becoming a statistic:
See your doctor for a checkup and an evaluation of your risk.
The American Heart Association has advised that doctors evaluate patients for their general risk of cardiovascular disease starting at age 20. As part of the assessment, your doctor should check your blood pressure, body mass index, waist measurement, and pulse, and repeat the assessment at least every two years.
Your cholesterol and glucose levels should bemonitored every five years. If you're 40 or over or have multiple risk factors, the AHA recommends that your doctor calculate what the chances are that you'll develop cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. You can also calculate your own risk online by using the AHA's risk assessment tool.
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Make a list of everything that puts you at risk.
Work on crossing as many things off that list as you can. With a healthy lifestyle – and a little help from your doctor – you may be able to slow down coronary heart disease or even avoid it altogether.
Medical treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even smoking cessation is highly effective. In short, you may be able to turn America's number-one killer into a minor-league threat.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Eating a low-fat diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; exercising 30 to 60 minutes at least 5 days a week (enough to break a sweat); not smoking; drinking only in moderation; keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control; and maintaining a good support network: all this will work wonders for your heart.
If you have high cholesterol and are unable to bring it down through diet and exercise, you should talk to your doctor about statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs. And to be on the safe side, check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen.
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Consider statin therapy.
The AHA recommends statin therapy for people 40 to 75 with a 7.5% risk of a stroke within 10 years; for people who've had a heart attack, stroke or serious arterial condition; for people over 21 with unusually high "bad" LDL cholesterol (190 mg/dL) or more; and people 40 to 75 who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
If you have diabetes, you can lower your risk of CHD by keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
Seek out a stress-management program.
If you're feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed-out, seek out help from a psychologist or other therapist. The results can be dramatic: A study from Duke University Medical Center found that a stress-management program cut the chances that a heart patient would suffer a heart attack or need surgery by 74 percent.
Lastly, you should also be sure to give upcigarettes and avoid second-hand smoke, get regular exercise, and do anything else you can to protect your heart. Combining diabetes with any other risk factor for CHD can be dangerous – and even deadly.
Seeking more information about coronary artery disease? Consult with your doctor and find out more about coronary artery disease on our Health Conditions tab on BlackDoctor.org.
