Lifestyle Factors and Heart Disease

Heart disease is often referred to a ‘lifestyle’ disease, meaning that the elements in our life that we choose to experience regularly may either increase or decrease our risk of heart disease.  The 2004 INTERHEART study of heart attack incidence in 52 countries found that diet and lifestyle factors may have the potential to prevent 90% of the heart attacks in these populations.   

Unfortunately, many people wait until they have symptoms of heart disease before they pay attention to their diet and lifestyle choices – or they continue to ignore them until it is too late.

The lifestyle factors most important for heart health can be summarized into 4 key items:  

1.  Smoking - Let’s get smoking out of the way first.  Smoking is strongly linked to increased risk of heart disease.  Smoking 40 cigarettes per day increases the risk of heart disease 900 times compared to nonsmokers.  Even smoking only 1-4 cigarettes per day increases the risk by 40%.  If you smoke, find a way to quit.

2.  Stress Reduction – Chronic stress is also strongly correlated with risk of heart disease.  Chronic stress without periodic relief increases the amount of cortisol released from our adrenal glands.  It is part of our “flight or fight” response to being in danger.  These elevated cortisol levels increase both inflammation and oxidative damage in our bodies, including blood vessels.  This promotes more plaque buildup and potential blockage of a blood vessel.  Find what works for you to defuse daily stress – a walk, meditating, talking with a close friend or counselor, deep breathing, etc.  We all experience stress every day.  The key is to use what works for you daily to break the cycle.  Don’t wait until the stress is over or until the vacation you have planned two months from now.

3.  Physical Inactivity – Inactive people are 1.5 to 2.4 times more likely to develop heart disease.  Regular physical activity, defined as 30 minutes per day, helps to decrease our cortisol level, decreases our feelings of stress, and strengthens our heart and blood vessels.  The best way to increase your activity is to build it into your lifestyle.  Walk or bike to work, walk to complete your errands, take the stairs wherever you can, find an active hobby that you love.  Regular physical activity will decrease inflammation and oxidative damage.

4.  Food Choices - There are so many mixed messages about what is healthy that it is difficult to know what to believe.  How do you choose the right diet?  

     The problem with most people’s diets is that they are including too much of the harmful foods and not enough of the foods that protect the heart and blood vessels.  You can change the balance by focusing on these foods.  Limit foods high in sugar and white flour, and increase foods rich in antioxidants (fruits, vegetables, legumes), omega-3 fatty acids (cold water fish such as salmon or sardines, flax seeds, or walnuts), and soluble fiber (fruits, oatmeal).  I’ll include more detail on what to eat and why after more information about heart disease and the cause of plaque in blood vessels.

There isn’t just one magic bullet or drug that will decrease the risk of heart disease.  How much we move, how we feel about life, and what we choose to eat and drink all contribute to the health or decline of our cardiovascular system.  The key is to implement changes over time to create an overall lifestyle that fits your values and health goals.  Pick one area to focus on, find the support you need, and take action.

Next I will include information on how heart disease is diagnosed and how to better understand what your lab values mean.  Stay tuned!