could redo that process — with the person’s own stem cells — we could help people.” There’s no particular time horizon on this, but much prom- ising work is being performed.

The latest medications People who’ve had heart attacks usu- ally take some sort of cardiac-related prescriptions for the rest of their lives. It’s essential to consult with health care providers to determine the best options for each individual. Some medications have been around for years, while new ones that improve or replace others are developed. For ex- ample, in July 2015, the FDA sped up approval for sacubitril/valsartan, the first in a new class of drugs. During a clinical trial, it significantly reduced the rate of death and hospitalization compared to an existing treatment. The AHA website (http://bit.ly

/1Pe8vlW) includes a list of medi- cations alphabetized by function, from anticoagulants to vasodilators, with generic and proprietary names and descriptions.

New dietary guideline A healthy diet is very important for cardiovascular health, says Dr. Rachel K. Johnson, a professor of nutrition and pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, past chair of AHA’s Nutrition Committee, and a registered dietitian. While most people know the perils of diets high in calories and saturated fats, there’s increasing awareness of the risks of added sug- ars. In 2009, for example, Johnson was the lead author of an AHA state- ment linking high intake of added sugars to heart disease risk factors, including obesity, high blood pres- sure, and unhealthy blood choles- terol levels. “Since then,” she says, “the evidence base has expanded. It may be fresh news to consumers, but it’s considered settled science by nutrition experts.”

My Life Check

My Life Check (www.heart.org/mylifecheck) is a brief, interactive survey to help determine your own cardiovascular health. Life Check requests information about the “simple seven” factors identified by the American Heart Association as influencing cardiovascular health. They include:  blood pressure  cholesterol levels  blood sugar  smoking status  weight  physical activity  healthy diet “When you see what your snags are,” says Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, “you

can click right through to really wonderful content and come up with a very positive actionable plan. A very small change can make a big differ- ence. You can pick that one thing you want to improve and find help to do it. There’s real empowerment there.”

On average, adults in this country consume nearly half a cup of added sugars every day, over and above what occurs naturally in food. That’s about four times the AHA’s recom- mended 6 teaspoons for women and almost three times the men’s recom- mendation of 9 teaspoons. Johnson suggests three sugar-

reduction tactics: 1. “Think about your drink,” she

says. “Beverages like soda, sports drinks, and sweetened teas add a lot of sugar.” 2. “Read your labels. Remember,

anything ending in ‘ose’ is an added sugar.” Manufacturers seeking to min- imize the impression that added sug- ars are a large component of a product often separately list different types of added sugars, such as cane sugar, corn syrup, molasses, brown sugar, dextrin, fructose, maltose, sucrose, and others. When combined together, however, they can reveal added sugar to be the main ingredient. 3. “Increase fruits and vegetables.

They are nutritionally dense and can reduce chronic inflammation and lower blood pressure. It’s a great way to improve the overall healthfulness of your diet.”

A healthy diet, she says, involves reducing trans fats, saturated fats, refined grains, and added sug- ars. For other dietary tactics, Johnson recommends the latest Di- etary Guidelines for Americans (www .health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015), which change periodically in re- sponse to research.

“The new advisory is no longer say-

ing there’s a guideline around dietary cholesterol,” she gives as an example. “The evidence was weak, so unless you are high risk, you don’t need to be that concerned.” There’s been a tremendous de- cline in cardiovascular disease over the past 50 years, Lauer points out. “It’s one of the triumphs of modern medicine.” And science has given people tools to use to maximize their own heart health.

MO

— Marilyn Pribus is a freelance writer in Virginia. Her last feature article for Military Officer was “Road Less Trav- eled,” September 2014.

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