喵咪社区

Think the path to heart disease is a one-way street? A 喵咪社区 cardiology expert shares tips on how to U-turn before it鈥檚 too late.

We鈥檝e all heard that making simple lifestyle changes today can help prevent heart disease down the line.

But what if you already have key risk factors for heart disease, or even a diagnosis of heart disease itself? Is it too late to turn the tide by turning over a new behavioral leaf?

Not according to Fatmata Jalloh, NP-C, a cardiology nurse practitioner with the 喵咪社区 Cardiac and Vascular Institute, part of 喵咪社区. 鈥淎nd don鈥檛 take my word for it,鈥� she says. 鈥� have proven that lifestyle changes improve your risk factors so you can stop moving along that spectrum to cardiovascular disease.鈥�

How does poor heart health become heart disease?

That spectrum begins with risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and blood glucose levels, as well as excess bodyweight and smoking. 鈥淭hough you may not feel these factors worsening, they鈥檙e silently increasing your heart disease risk,鈥� Jalloh notes.

Left unattended, they may contribute to conditions related to heart disease like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes. People on course for heart disease may also notice that activities of daily life now leave them short of breath, making it harder to function as they once did.

鈥淎t the far end of the spectrum,鈥� Jalloh says, 鈥渨e see cases of actual coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and heart failure. But it鈥檚 important to remember: Poor heart health starts before you get a diagnosis.鈥�

Which lifestyle changes help?

The upside to heart disease鈥檚 long progression is that it gives us time to change direction. And that鈥檚 where lifestyle modifications come in.

As a start, Jalloh points patients to the American Heart Association鈥檚 list of key practices that help improve and maintain cardiovascular health:

• Eat better
• Be more active
• Quit tobacco
• Get healthy sleep
• Manage weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood sugar
• Manage blood pressure

鈥淢odifications like these are scientifically shown to work,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he long-term effect may be to lower your heart disease risk by 20%-40%.鈥�

How do I 鈥渆at better鈥�?

But as simple as the tips seem, Jalloh understands that patients may have questions.

Take the suggestion to 鈥渆at better,鈥� for example. In a social media atmosphere booming with food noise, 鈥淚 sometimes think that every influencer has their own heart-healthy fad diet,鈥� Jalloh says.

But research shows that the , DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and vegetarian/pescatarian diets have the best track record for improving heart health.

鈥淲hat all three have in common are a lot of fruits and vegetables, a lot of whole grains and nuts, lean protein 鈥� especially fish, healthy fats like olive oil as well as limited processed foods, added sugars and saturated fats,鈥� Jalloh notes.

Even better, they鈥檙e as delicious as they are nutritious. 鈥淭here are a lot of good recipes out there,鈥� Jalloh says. She suggests visiting the American Heart Association鈥檚 for ideas.

How much exercise is enough?

As for being more active, Jalloh is happy to report that you don鈥檛 need a personal trainer, fancy equipment or a marathoner鈥檚 stamina to get your heart in shape.

All you need is to aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate activity 鈥� think brisk walking or cycling. 鈥淥r, if the weather鈥檚 crazy outside or you鈥檙e like me and have two kids,鈥� Jalloh says, 鈥渉ave dance parties inside. It鈥檚 about getting your heart rate up and having fun.鈥�

For those with less time to spare 鈥� or a higher tolerance for sweat 鈥� 75 weekly minutes of vigorous activities like running and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions work just as well, Jalloh adds. Twice-weekly strength training also deserves a spot on a heart-healthy exercise schedule.

And again, if you鈥檙e not fond of the gym, no problem: It鈥檚 remarkable what you can accomplish at home with a few light dumbbells or resistance bands, Jalloh says.

Start small and seek support

In other words, it鈥檚 okay to start small. If going out for a half-hour walk is too much, 鈥淪tart with five minutes today, do that for a week and then see if you can go up to 10 minutes, then 15, then 20,鈥� Jalloh says.

And seek support from your care team. 鈥淗ealth care right now can feel really fragmented,鈥� Jalloh admits, 鈥渂ut it doesn鈥檛 have to. Your primary care provider is your first touchpoint who can assess your risk factors. But we also have a lot of other cardiology specialists here at Keck Medicine who can help, including nurses, pharmacists, care coordinators and dietitians.鈥�

She sees their collective efforts as 鈥渆mpowering patients鈥� with the tools they need to get their heart health back on track. 鈥淎nd when you do that,鈥� she says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not just your heart that improves. All your other organs get healthier, too, because everything works together.鈥�

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