Tag Archives: preventative care

Heart Disease Q&A: Knowing Your Numbers

With Dr. Falana Carter

Q: What does “knowing my numbers” have to do with heart disease?

A: We all have our numbers, like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar. Those numbers can tell an important story about your risk for heart disease.

Heart disease is any disorder of the heart muscle, valves, rhythm or blood flow to the heart. Today in the U.S., heart disease is the number one cause of death among both men and women. So knowing your numbers is an important part of your health story. It’s also the first step to reducing your risk of heart disease.

Q: Isn’t heart disease something out of our control – you get it or you don’t?

A: There are two types of risk factors: things you can’t control and things you can. The things you can’t control are your genes: they may predispose you for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. If you have a family history of these health conditions, you may be at greater risk for heart disease.

However, there are things you can control, including blood pressure, blood sugar, your weight, cholesterol levels, and smoking. Getting them under control reduces your risk of heart disease. In fact, lifestyle changes can reduce your risk up to 60 percent – and that’s without medication!

Q: What changes should I make?

A: There’s a lot you can do. These things will improve your heart health, as well as giving you better health overall:

  • Quit smoking. For people who quit, their risk of heart attack falls to the same level as nonsmokers in just two years.
  • Improve cholesterol levels. Cholesterol in your blood includes LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides. A healthy diet and exercise are key to managing cholesterol, though some people may also need medicine.
  • Get active. Just 30 minutes of exercise four to five times a week can reduce your risk for heart disease by 30 percent. Exercise reduces your blood pressure and blood sugar. It also helps control your weight and lowers your cholesterol levels.
  • Control high blood pressure. Exercise and healthy eating, as well as avoiding salt, are keys to controlling blood pressure, but some people may also need medicine.
  • Follow a heart-healthy diet. Eat more foods that are low in fat and cholesterol, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and legumes. These foods are high in fiber, which is good for healthy cholesterol, and contain many nutrients.

Eat lean meats, poultry and fish (especially salmon or tuna, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids). And – very important – reduce your intake of salt and sugar.

  • Get to a healthy weight. Losing extra weight is good for your heart and can help lower high blood pressure and manage diabetes.
  • Control diabetes. Many people who have diabetes don’t know it, so get tested and treated.
  • Manage stress and anger. Everyone has stress and anger sometimes, but if it happens a lot, it can damage your heart. Managing stress and handling anger in healthy ways makes you and your heart feel better.

See your doctor to learn what your numbers are, and how they impact your heart health. Your physician can also help you make healthy lifestyle changes and manage your risk factors. Knowing your numbers and getting them under control can help the story of your heart be a long and happy one – for you and your family.

Dr. Carter is an MPCP partner and is certified by the American Board of Family Physicians. She sees patients at the Arundel Mills office.

Taking Control of Your Heart Disease Risk

 

We all have our numbers – like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight and blood sugar. But did you know that those numbers can tell an important story about your risk for heart disease? It’s true.

Heart disease is any disorder of the heart muscle, values, rhythm, or blood flow to the heart. Today in the U.S., heart disease is the number-one cause of death among men and women, so knowing your numbers is an important part of your story. It’s also the first step to reducing your risk of heart disease.

There are two types of risk factors – things you can control and things you can’t.

The things you can control are blood pressure, blood sugar, your weight, cholesterol levels and smoking. Getting these under control reduces your risk of heart disease.

The things you can’t control are your genes, if you have a family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. That puts you at a greater risk.

Just 30 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week can reduce your risk by 30%. Exercise reduces your blood pressure and blood sugar. It helps control your weight and lowers your cholesterol levels. Fact is, lifestyle changes like getting active, eating healthy, and quitting smoking can reduce your risk up to 60%. And that’s without medication.

We all have our numbers. Knowing yours and getting them under control can help the story of your heart be a long and happy one for you and your family.

 

 

Dr. Carter is an MPCP partner and is certified by the American Board of Family Physicians. She sees patients at the Arundel Mills office.

Bad Tick Season May Lead to More Lyme Disease

By: Dr. George Cavanagh

Following a mild winter, Maryland’s tick population was expected to explode this summer. This could lead to a record number of Lyme disease infections in 2019.

Warmer winters allow black-legged ticks, which are the chief carriers of Lyme disease, to remain active longer and spread the illness into new regions of the country. Maryland gets about 1,300 cases of Lyme disease each year, but that number may climb this year.

Lyme Disease Symptoms

Bites from infected ticks often leave a bull’s-eye-shaped rash: a red spot surrounded by white and red circles. Symptoms of Lyme disease include flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and headache), facial paralysis and swollen knees. If left untreated, Lyme can progress to more serious issues like memory problems, heart rhythm irregularities and chronic arthritis.

Not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease, especially if you get them off soon, but if you are bitten by a black-legged tick, see your doctor for antibiotics to treat the illness.

Tips for Prevention

  • Avoid areas with high grass, brush and leaf clutter.
  • Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves and closed-toe shoes when hiking. Tuck your pants into your socks, too.
  • Use insect repellent containing permethrin to treat your clothes and shoes. Use repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on your skin
  • If you’ve been in a tick-prone area, thoroughly check your body for ticks and shower as soon as possible once indoors.
  • Put your clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill any ticks on them.
  • If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers immediately.
  • Call your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms listed above after removing a tick.
  • Check dogs and cats for ticks frequently, and ask your veterinarian about tick preventives.

As a general rule, if you spend time outdoors in an area prone to ticks, assume you’ve picked one up. Do a thorough check when you’re back indoors and remove any ticks immediately.

 

George Cavanagh, M.D.Dr. Cavanagh is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians partner and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He sees patients in MPCP’s Bowie office.

5 Ways to Improve Your Health Now

The secret to good health is really no secret. In most cases, health is the result of lifestyle choices we make, the things we do or don’t do. In other words, good health is in your hands.

Many serious diseases are largely preventable, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and several forms of cancer. A recent study found that adults who followed four tenets of good health ─ they controlled their weight, exercised, ate a healthy diet and didn’t smoke ─ were 80% less likely to develop chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Whether you’re in pretty good shape or already have health concerns, you can make lifestyle changes to prevent disease and even reverse its effects. Here are five things you can do to take charge of your health.

  1. Get More Exercise
    Exercise is key for preventing illness and maintaining good health. And you don’t have to join the gym. Something as simple as taking a brisk walk 30 minutes a day can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and several cancers. Also, the feel-good hormones (endorphins) your body produces during exercise are a great way to de-stress and give your mood a boost. The Mayo Clinic recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week.
  2. Lose Weight 
    Studies show that losing just a few pounds if you’re overweight will improve your health. Key to weight loss is a healthy diet that includes abundant fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limits refined sugars and unsaturated fats. You should also replace sugary beverages with water; they have a ton of calories.
  3. Get Your Shots and Screenings
    Keeping up to date on vaccinations – including your annual flu shot ─ can prevent many dangerous illnesses. Routine health screenings are also a lifesaver. Knowing and managing your cholesterol and blood pressure is crucial to reducing your risk of heart disease, and cancer screening tests can catch some cancers early when they are highly treatable.
  4. Don’t Smoke
    You’d think we wouldn’t have to say it anymore, but lung cancer caused by smoking remains the leading cause of cancer death and is also a big factor in heart disease. But thanks to a variety of new nicotine replacement therapies and medications, quitting is easier than ever.
  5. Enjoy Family and Friends
    Good social connections not only give you pleasure, they also influence your long-term health. Studies have shown that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. So feel better by hanging out with the people you like most.

Your doctor can provide valuable advice and support as you make important lifestyle changes. But remember, the choice to be healthier starts with you.

Dr. John A. Billon sees patients in MPCP’s Arnold office. He received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical School and completed his residency program in Family Practice at Stamford St. Peters University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson. He is certified by the American Board of Family Practice.