Listen to Your Heart: Prioritizing Cardiovascular Health
- Category: Healthy Living
- Posted On:
You might’ve noticed an uptick in heart health chatter every February. That's American Heart Month – 61 years of gently reminding us to pursue a heart-healthy lifestyle.
In 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson made the designation to raise awareness about heart disease, which was and still is the leading cause of death in the United States.
The purpose of American Heart Month is to:
Educate the public
Promote healthy lifestyle habits
Support research and funding for causes and treatments of heart disease
Cardiovascular health pertains to the well-being of the heart and blood vessels. It encompasses a range of conditions collectively known as cardiovascular disease (CVD) or heart disease. While February shines a spotlight on heart health, cardiovascular well-being is built every day through conscious choices, like reading this article!
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Heart disease risk factors encompass a range of influences, some within our control and others not.
The following risk factors are modifiable, meaning lifestyle changes can significantly impact them if addressed early on.
Excessive alcohol intake
Smoking
Obesity
Physical inactivity
Illicit substance use - particularly cocaine and amphetamine/methamphetamine
Physical and mental stress
Dr. Muhammad Ajmal, who specializes in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology at Great River Health, emphasized the connections and significant impact of stress management on cardiovascular well-being. “Many risk factors become interconnected, high physical or mental stress can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including inactivity, poor diet, smoking, and substance abuse, which can increase the risk of heart conditions like heart attacks and heart failure, even at a younger age,” he said.
Similarly, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can often occur together, creating a cycle of increased risk. Non-modifiable risk factors, including family history/genetics, can also contribute to heart disease. Identifying root causes can lead to better health outcomes.
Common Conditions
Heart disease isn't just one single affliction; it encompasses many conditions where distinct areas of the heart can be affected, many conditions also have diverse symptoms and subtypes.
These complex cardiovascular conditions can impact anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. The complexities of heart disease highlight the importance of heart health awareness for all. Common conditions include:
Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat): A condition where your heart has an irregular beat. It can feel like your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering, racing, or beating too fast or too slow.
Atherosclerosis: A disease where plaques consisting of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries.
Atrial fibrillation (AF): This is the most common type of arrhythmia where the heart beats rapidly and irregularly due to a problem in the heart’s chambers. Symptoms can vary and they may only occur sporadically, common symptoms include racing/fluttering of the heart and shortness of breath. Fatigue is another important symptom that can go easily unidentified.
Cardiac arrest and heart attacks are sometimes used interchangeably; while both are medical emergencies and can be fatal without immediate treatment, they are not the same.
Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest): This is a medical emergency where the heart suddenly stops, immediately threatening life due to the lack of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. A cardiac arrest usually happens when there is a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system that causes the heart to stop beating properly.
Heart attack: Occurs when fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits build up over time, forming plaques. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form on top, completely blocking blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. This can lead to a heart attack.
When it comes to reducing your risk of a heart attack and minimizing adverse outcomes in the event of a heart attack, “Effective heart health begins with proactive measures, including controlling risk factors and prioritizing early detection of blockages in the heart arteries through preventative testing,” said Dr. Ajmal.
“Despite these efforts, emergency care is paramount when experiencing a heart attack. The most easily available medicine is a full dose of Aspirin, this single medication reduces the chances of death. We emphasize: TIME IS MUSCLE. With each passing minute, the blockage leads to the death of the heart muscle. Timely diagnosis and treatment enable a tailored approach to managing heart health and heart attacks.”
Common early warning signs of a heart attack include:
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Pressure or pain going into areas of the upper body such as the neck and arms
Congenital heart disease (CHD): A broad condition that can be present at birth, affecting the heart's structure, CHD conditions disrupt the flow of blood through the body. Heart defects affect nearly 1% of births each year in the United States.
Coronary heart disease: A condition that happens when the blood vessels that feed your heart get clogged. This happens when plaque builds up inside the arteries, narrowing them down which reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
Heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure): Occurs when the heart doesn't function as well as it should in pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. This happens when:
The heart muscle becomes too weak to effectively pump blood.
The heart muscle becomes stiff, making it difficult to receive blood from the lungs and pump it out to the body.
- Congestive heart failure can damage organs and cause extra fluid to build up in the body.
Now that we’re familiar with things that could go wrong, let’s talk about how to monitor your heart health to hopefully help avoid them.
Biomarkers for your Heart Health
Routine health screenings like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart rate can provide valuable insights into your cardiovascular health. By knowing your numbers, you can establish a baseline and identify any significant deviations that may warrant further investigation.
Resting heart rate: Your resting heart rate can provide some insight into your overall heart health such as your fitness level, a lower resting heart rate typically indicates better cardiovascular fitness. A well-conditioned heart pumps more blood with each beat, requiring fewer beats per minute. An elevated resting heart rate alone does not necessarily indicate a serious heart problem. However, if your resting heart rate consistently deviates significantly from your usual baseline, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue.
Factors that can influence resting heart rate:
Fitness level
Medications
Stress
Dehydration
Body temperature
Time of day
Blood pressure: This is crucial for understanding your heart health because high blood pressure (hypertension) strains your heart over time. Hypotension means that blood pressure is unusually low, leading to insufficient blood flow to vital organs like the brain. Normal blood pressure range is < 120/80 mmHg.
Cholesterol: A waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of our body. While some cholesterol is essential for the body to function properly, high levels of "bad" cholesterol known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries. This plaque can narrow your arteries, restricting blood flow to your heart and increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as "good" cholesterol, helps remove LDL from your bloodstream and transport it to your liver for processing. Higher HDL levels are generally associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Heart healthy cholesterol levels | HDL Cholesterol (‘good’ cholesterol):
LDL Cholesterol (‘bad’ cholesterol):
For most adults, the ideal LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dL. Generally, lower LDL cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. For individuals who have already experienced a cardiac event or have blockages in their heart arteries, the target LDL cholesterol level is typically below 70 mg/dL.
In cases of recurrent heart attacks, healthcare providers may aim for even lower levels, often below 55 mg/dL.
If you are concerned about any of your routine screenings, or have a history of a heart condition Dr. Ajmal also recommended considering the following cardiovascular blood tests to further assess heart function:
Cardiac enzymes: These are little proteins inside your heart muscle cells. When your heart is damaged, these enzymes leak into your blood. Doctors can measure these enzymes in a blood test to help diagnose a heart attack.
BNP and NT-proBNP: Hormones your heart releases when it's having trouble pumping blood properly. If your heart is struggling, it releases more of these hormones into your blood.
For more information on specific biomarkers for your overall health check out our latest blog post.
Proactive Heart Health
Like any other muscle, your heart needs care and attention to stay strong. With every beat, it sustains life. Proactive heart health means identifying your risk factors to allow for timely interventions, such as lifestyle changes or medication, to prevent or delay its onset.
Living a heart-healthy lifestyle involves adopting habits that counteract the risk factors mentioned above. This includes nourishing your body with a diet rich in whole foods, engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, effectively managing stress, and scheduling and attending regular checkups and screenings. Ready to cut out some risk factors and make a change? Click here for practical advice on creating a balanced lifestyle.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Our Cardiac Rehab Program is a multi-phased approach to achieving optimal heart function after a cardiac event.
“Patients of all ages and health situations are welcome in Cardiac Rehabilitation with an acceptable cardiac diagnosis. We have equipment adjustable to patient body size, strength, and mobility, and to patients who are wheelchair-bound. Each patient has an individual treatment plan tailored to their fitness level and physical limitations,” explains Alexis Peterson, Fitness Specialist for the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at SEIRMC, Fort Madison. The first phase often begins during a hospitalization, where we focus on patient and family education, and initiating supervised exercise. Then there is an Outpatient Phase which includes supervised exercise sessions, educational classes, and lifestyle modification guidance for up to 12 weeks. To support patients in this transition of lifestyle modifications, the maintenance phase encourages independent exercise to improve strength, endurance, and overall wellness.
This program is offered at both our Fort Madison and West Burlington campuses. In 2024, a total of 309 patients completed the program, experiencing significant health improvements such as:
Improving their physical fitness (strength, stamina)
Weight management
Reducing stress levels
Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
Improving blood sugar control
Enhancing emotional wellbeing
Cardiovascular Services at Great River Health
Cardiology at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center West Burlington and Fort Madison provides diagnosis and treatment of heart and blood vessel conditions using noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures. Services are available 24 hours a day in our Heart & Vascular Center on our West Burlington campus.
Our cardiology team at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center includes five providers specializing in cardiology and interventional cardiology. We are also fortunate to have Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Ryan Deets, MD.
It's important to understand the key differences between interventional cardiology and vascular surgery:
Interventional Cardiologists primarily focus on the heart and its blood vessels, specializing in minimally invasive procedures like angioplasty and stenting.
Vascular Surgeons address a broader range of conditions affecting the entire circulatory system (except the heart), employing both minimally invasive and surgical techniques.
Individuals with risk factors for heart disease or those generally healthy but concerned about their heart health may benefit from cardiovascular screenings as they can inform preventative measures like medication decisions and lifestyle changes.
Our range of cardiology imaging and tests include:
Interventional Procedures
Stenting of arteries: A minimally invasive procedure using catheter technology - inserting the device attached to a catheter in a large artery - and advancing it to the site of the damage. Works by keeping a narrowed artery open permanently.
Diagnostic testing & devices
Angiogram: This technique uses X-rays to visualize the inside of blood vessels. A special dye (contrast material) is injected into the bloodstream which makes the blood vessels visible in X-ray images, X-rays are then taken to create images of the blood flow in an artery or a vein.
Common angiograms examine blood flow in the:
Aorta (aortogram)
Brain (cerebral angiogram)
Head and neck (carotid angiogram)
Heart (coronary angiogram)
Legs or arms (peripheral angiogram)
Lungs (pulmonary angiogram)
Leg Pressure Testing (ABI): The same risk factors that can lead to blockage within heart arteries can also lead to blockage within leg arteries and often the heart blockage coexists with a leg blockage and leads to pain in the calf when walking. This screening test measures blood flow to extremities. If there is a blockage, an interventional cardiologist can use techniques like stenting, used in the heart arteries to open plaque-narrowed arteries in the legs.
Cardiac Catheterization: Involves using dye and X-ray to diagnose a blockage within the heart arteries to determine if the blockage needs to be managed with medications, stents, or bypass surgery. It also checks pressure within different chambers of the heart to determine the degree of fluid buildup in the body and gauge water pills dose based on the results.
Holter & Event Monitoring (continuous or event-based recording of heart rhythm): These tests are particularly useful for detecting sporadic arrhythmias that may not be captured by a single electrocardiogram (EKG) test.
Holter Monitoring: Continuously records your heart rhythm over 24-48 hours, depending on the frequency of the arrhythmia.
Event Monitoring: Records your heart rhythm only when you activate the device, typically when you experience symptoms like palpitations or dizziness.
Loop Recorder Implant: This is a diagnostic device for arrhythmias that are very infrequent and cannot be picked on a heart monitor, we can implant a chip called a loop recorder within the left side of the chest muscle under local anesthesia which can stay up to 6 years. This chip sends signals of any heart arrhythmias.
Echocardiogram: This is ultrasound imaging of the heart. It is a non-invasive test and involves the application of a gel on the chest and taking pictures of the heart to check the strength and stiffness of the heart muscle and for any heart valve issues.
Stress Testing
Regular Treadmill Stress Test: This test involves exercise on the treadmill with EKG monitoring. This test helps determine if there is a blockage within the heart arteries or not.
Nuclear Stress Test: If a patient cannot walk on the treadmill, or their baseline EKG is abnormal, a nuclear test can be performed. It involves two sets of pictures of the heart, one at rest and one after we inject a chemical taken up by the heart arteries. We compare these images at rest and under stress to diagnose if the heart is getting good blood flow with stress.
Stress Echocardiogram: This test involves either walking on a treadmill or injecting a medicine to stress the heart and then doing an ultrasound of the heart.
Preventative Screenings
Cardiac Calcium Scoring: This non-invasive imaging test uses a specialized CT scan to detect the presence and amount of calcium deposits within the coronary arteries. Calcium buildup in the arteries causes plaque to accumulate in the artery walls, potentially leading to blockages and heart disease. The Cardiac Calcium Scoring test requires no injections, treadmill exercise, or special preparation like fasting. For optimal results, it's best to avoid caffeine consumption for at least four hours before the test to keep the heart rate nice and slow to get better pictures of the heart arteries.
Cholesterol Screening: High cholesterol has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to know whether you have it is to get your cholesterol checked. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a person's first cholesterol screening should occur between the ages of 9 and 11 and then be repeated every five years after that. At the age of 45 for men and 50 for women, it is recommended to be screened for cholesterol every 1-2 years.
Hypertension Screening: High blood pressure can also present no signs or symptoms, it's termed the "silent killer," emphasizing the importance of regular checkups to prevent serious complications like heart disease and stroke. This simple procedure is recommended annually for adults. It involves a blood pressure cuff measurement during a routine exam that assesses the heart's workload.
Click here to learn more and view the cardiovascular diseases we treat.
Understanding more about cardiovascular health is always beneficial! From embracing a healthy diet and exercise to scheduling preventative screenings, much of our heart health and overall well-being depends on simple things like consistent, proactive self-care.
Remember, your heart is the engine that powers your life. Pay attention to its signals and take the necessary steps to keep it healthy and strong.
