American Heart Month ideal time to focus on cardiovascular health
Just like a vehicle, the human heart needs proper maintenance to run properly and understanding that is key to preventing heart disease, according to Adam Karpman, DO, FACC, FACOI, section chief of non-invasive cardiology at Central Maine Healthcare’s Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute.
February is American Heart Month is an ideal time to focus on cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States.
Dr. Karpman says factors such as genetics put some people at increased risk of heart disease, but that behavior also plays a major role. Lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyles are contributors. Americans’ eating habits, which lead to obesity and diabetes, are particularly problematic.
“The American diet is not the healthiest compared to a lot of other countries. We eat a lot of processed foods, a lot of fast foods, a lot of fried food and red meats that probably do contribute to heart disease, both directly and indirectly,” he says.
In addition to eating healthier, Dr. Karpman says, there are other ways people can put themselves in the driver’s seat in preventing heart disease. Among them are abstaining from tobacco use and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels. He says our health behavior between the ages of 20 and 60 sets the stage for how healthy we are in our later years. Like a car, he says, the human heart needs maintenance.
“When you have a car and you get the oil changed every three or five thousand miles, that’s preventative maintenance. What people really need to do is think about the same thing for their body. You do require preventative maintenance to prevent a huge problem in the future,” he says.
He also notes that sharing your family history of heart disease with your doctor is also crucial in addressing heart issues early, before they become big problems.
A common misconception about heart disease is that it affects mostly men. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular problems kill almost as many women as men every year. Dr. Karpman says heart problems among women often don’t present in the same way as they do with men: while men feel a tremendous amount of chest pressure during a heart attack, for example, women may experience different issues, such as sharp chest pains that are not recognized as a heart attack, and too often go untreated.
Some minority communities are at a higher risk for heart disease, according to Dr. Karpman. Some of the major contributing factors for this are limited access to healthcare and affordable high-quality food.
Technology has led to many positive developments in battling heart disease, according to Dr. Karpman. Examples include telehealth options that allow doctors to monitor patients remotely, which is especially advantageous in treating rural populations. Devices such as phones and smartwatches allow us to monitor our heart rhythms.