9 WAYS TO HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE
JULIANA GOODWIN FOR LIVING WELL
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eart disease is the leading cause of death in adults in the United States, killing 1 in 4 Americans. The trag- ic reality is there are so many ways people can re- duce their risks of heart disease.
In honor American Heart Month, held in February, we
asked Dr. Patrick Tobbia, board certified interventional cardiologist with Baxter Regional Medical Center in prac- tice at Cardiovascular Associates of North Central Arkan- sas, to share some tips for improving heart health.
DIABETES
“Whenever I see pa- tients one of the first things we do is screen for diabetes,” Tobbia said. “Diabetes is growing in America as people get fatter and fatter — 10 percent are diabetic. A lot of people are pre-diabetic and don’t know it. Diabe- tes can lead to vascular disease because the sugar
is toxic to vessels and it builds up cholesterol and that leads to heart attack or stroke.”
Be sure to screen annually for diabetes and talk to your doctor if you have increased risk factors, like fam- ily history. If you have pre-diabetes, get it under control.
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SAY GOODBYE TO TOBACCO Cigarettes don’t just increase your chances of lung cancer, it deteriorates your overall health. Cigarettes are loaded with chemicals that damage the blood vessel’s ability to relax and dilate, and over time, it allows more choles- terol to build up.
Quitting smoking is the one thing patients struggle with the most, but it can save their life, he said. “We have lot of tools we can use, medications, patch- es, but ultimately it comes down to personal choice,” Tobbia said.
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4 Living Well i January/February 2018
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