All you need to know about heart disease

Contd. from last edition

Diagnosis

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• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): An ECG is a quick and painless test that records the electrical signals in your heart. It can spot abnormal heart rhythms. You may have an ECG while you’re at rest or while exercising (stress electrocardiogram).
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• Holter monitoring: A Holter monitor is a portable ECG device you wear to continuously record your heart rhythm, usually for 24 to 72 hours. Holter monitoring is used to detect heart rhythm problems that aren’t found during a regular ECG exam.
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• Echocardiogram: This noninvasive exam uses sound waves to produce detailed images of your heart’s structure. It shows how your heart beats and pumps blood.
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• Stress test: This type of test involves raising your heart rate with exercise or medicine while performing heart tests and imaging to check how your heart responds.
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• Cardiac catheterization: In this test, a short tube (sheath) is inserted into a vein or artery in your leg (groin) or arm. A hollow, flexible and longer tube (guide catheter) is then inserted into the sheath. Using X-ray images on a monitor as a guide, your doctor carefully threads the catheter through the artery until it reaches your heart.
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• During cardiac catheterization, the pressures in your heart chambers can be measured, and dye can be injected. The dye can be seen on an X-ray, which helps your doctor see the blood flow through your heart, blood vessels and valves to check for problems.
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• Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan: In a cardiac CT scan, you lie on a table inside a doughnut-shaped machine. An X-ray tube inside the machine rotates around your body and collects images of your heart and chest.
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• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A cardiac MRI uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of your heart.
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Treatment

The type of treatment you receive depends on the type of heart disease you have. In general, treatment for heart disease usually includes:

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• Lifestyle changes: You can lower your risk of heart disease by eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet, getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake.
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• Medications: If lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough, your doctor may prescribe medications to control your heart disease. The type of medication you receive will depend on the type of heart disease.
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• Medical procedures or surgery: If medications aren’t enough, it’s possible your doctor will recommend specific procedures or surgery. The type of procedure or surgery will depend on the type of heart disease and the extent of the damage to your heart.
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Lifestyle and home remedies

Heart disease can be improved — or even prevented — by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve heart health:

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• Stop smoking: Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. Quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease and its complications.
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• Control your blood pressure: Ask your doctor for a blood pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure is higher than normal or you have a history of heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, as measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
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• Check your cholesterol: Ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test when you’re in your 20s and then at least every five years. You may need to start testing earlier if high cholesterol is in your family. If your test results aren’t within desirable ranges, your doctor may recommend more-frequent measurements.
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• Most people should aim for a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level below 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.4 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). If you have other risk factors for heart disease, you should aim for an LDL level below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). If you’re at very high risk of heart disease — if you’ve already had a heart attack or have diabetes, for example — aim for an LDL level below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L).
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• Keep diabetes under control: If you have diabetes, tight blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
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• Exercise: Physical activity helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight and control diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure — all risk factors for heart disease. If you have a heart arrhythmia or heart defect, there may be some restrictions on the activities you can do, so talk to your doctor. With your doctor’s OK, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.
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• Eat healthy foods: A heart-healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar — can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
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• Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. A body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 and a waist circumference of 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) or less is the goal for preventing and treating heart disease.
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• Manage stress. Reduce stress as much as possible: Practice techniques for managing stress, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.
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• Get treatment for depression: Being depressed can increase your risk of heart disease significantly. Talk to your doctor if you feel hopeless or uninterested in your life.
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• Practice good hygiene: Regularly wash your hands and brush and floss your teeth to keep yourself well.
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Also, get regular medical checkups. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.