Tag Archives: heart disease

Should I Be Worried About Heart Disease?

By: SERINA J. LEWIS, M.D.

Do you know if you’re at risk for heart disease? It’s the #1 cause of death, but many people have no clue if they’re at risk for it. In this case, ignorance isn’t bliss, it could be deadly.

When it comes to your risk for heart disease, there are things you can’t control and things you can.

What you can’t control

  • Being male: Sorry, guys. While both men and women suffer from heart disease, men tend to be at higher risk and get it at a younger age. That doesn’t let women off the hook, though; men and women tend to develop heart disease at nearly the same rates.
  • Older age: No surprise here. Adults 65 and older are more likely than younger people to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
  • Family history of heart disease: While you get your good looks from your parents, you can also inherit genes that put you at greater risk for heart disease. In fact, the condition tends to run in families.
  • Being postmenopausal: Menopause doesn’t cause cardiovascular disease, but certain risk factors begin to increase around the time of menopause.
  • Race: African American, Native American, and Mexican American people are more likely to have heart disease.

What you can control

Some things you can’t change, but many things you can. Heart disease is greatly influenced by lifestyle factors, such as:

  • Smoking
  • Unhealthy cholesterol numbers (see video below)
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure
  • Physical inactivity
  • Obesity (having a BMI greater than 25)
  • Uncontrolled diabetes
  • Stress, including depression and anger
  • Poor diet
  • Alcohol use

Any of these factors, or a combination of them, greatly increases the chances you will get heart disease.

Bottom line: Control what you can

Research shows your risk for heart disease can be significantly lowered by making lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, improving your diet, and losing weight. Your MPCP healthcare provider can assess your blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels, and help you create a plan for managing them. Making these changes will not only reduce your heart disease risk, but you’ll generally be healthier and feel better.

Watch this video to learn how “knowing your numbers” can help lower your risk for heart disease.

Dr. Lewis earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and is certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians. She sees patients in MPCP’s Bowie office.

How To Tell If You Have Heart Disease

If you have heart disease, you get chest pains, right?

Not all heart problems come with such clear warning signs. Coronary disease includes a number of conditions, which have different symptoms. Learn the symptoms and you’ll be better prepared to head off a dangerous health episode.

Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease develops when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become hardened and narrowed. This is often caused by build-up of cholesterol and other materials called plaque in your arteries. This build-up is called atherosclerosis. As it increases, it can reduce or block blood flow to the heart.

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is angina or chest pain. People with angina describe it as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or painful feeling in the chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, teeth or back.

Coronary heart disease may lead to a heart attack. It can also weaken the heart muscle and cause heart failure or heart rhythm abnormalities (arrhythmias).

Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when blood supply to your heart is reduced or blocked, causing part of the heart muscle to die. Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

  • Chest discomfort ─ it can feel like an uncomfortable pressure, heaviness, squeezing or pain in the center or the left side of the chest
  • Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, neck, and one or both arms.
  • Fullness, indigestion or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
  • Sweating, nausea, vomiting or lightheadedness
  • Extreme fatigue that can last for days, anxiety or shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeats

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia (heart rhythm problems) happens when the electrical impulses that regulate your heartbeats don’t work properly, causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. Atrial fibrillation is one type of heart arrhythmia. Symptoms of heart arrhythmia can include:

  • Palpitations ─ a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or flip-flop sensation
  • Pounding in the chest
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Fainting or near fainting
  • Shortness of breath or wheezing
  • Chest pain
  • A racing or slow heartbeat
  • Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired)

Heart valve disease

Heart valve disease occurs if one or more of your four heart valves don’t function properly. Birth defects, age-related changes, infections or other conditions can cause your heart valves to not open or close properly, or leaking which can cause blood to flow backwards into the heart chambers. Symptoms of heart valve disease can include:

  • Shortness of breath and or difficulty catching your breath
  • Unusual fatigue
  • Swelling in your legs, ankles, feet and abdomen
  • Fluttering, irregular or racing heartbeat
  • Dizziness or fainting

Heart failure

Heart failure is a condition in which your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. Some causes include coronary heart disease, heart valve abnormalities, heart attack, diabetes and high blood pressure. If you have heart failure, you may experience:

  • Shortness of breath during activity or at rest, especially when lying flat in bed
  • A dry, hacky cough that doesn’t go away or wheezing
  • Rapid weight gain, as much as 2-3 pounds per day
  • Swelling in ankles, feet, legs and abdomen
  • Fatigue or lightheadedness
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeats

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is inflammation of the lining around the heart. It causes chest pain and accumulations of fluid around the heart. Causes of pericarditis include infections, injury and radiation treatment. Pericarditis usually begins suddenly and is short lived.

The most common symptom of pericarditis is chest pain, but it’s different from the pain of a heart attack. It may be sharp and located to the center of the chest. It gets worse when lying down, taking a deep breath, coughing or swallowing. Sitting up and leaning forward improves the chest pain.

Symptoms of heart disease aren’t always clear-cut, and it may be difficult to tell what’s really going on. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, check with your health care provider. Or if they’re severe, call 911. It’s the fastest way to receive life-saving treatment.

David Jackson, M.D.

Dr. David Jackson, M.D., FACC is a MPCP partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Cardiovascular and Internal Medicine. He sees patients in the Columbia Cardiology office.