Your health is in YOUR hands. The health of your heart is literally in your own hands. In the last four decades, medical science has made incredible progress in preventing, predicting and treating ailing hearts, but basic heart health begins with you. That means using your hands to:
• Open the front door as you go for a walk
• Put more fresh fruit and vegetables into your shopping cart at the grocery store • Throw out the last pack of cigarettes • Dial your physician’s number to schedule your regular check up You’ve probably already uncovered the secret to a healthy heart – the fact that there is no secret. It’s all common sense, which is not to say it’s easy. For most of us, focusing on a health heart requires changing our lifestyle and breaking old habits can be a challenge. However, there is a secret here and it is to make small changes consistently over a period of time. If your heart beats below 70 beats per minute, it doesn’t have to work as hard and that lowers your risk of a heart attack. Regular exercise will lower your rate.
Let’s look at exercise because a healthy life begins with a few small steps. Do one of these until it becomes a habit.
Then add the next: • Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. • Park at the far end of the parking lot. • Walk to do some of your errands instead of using the car. • Play with your children or pets. • Change your diet. Again, take it one step at a time: • Have oatmeal or bran cereals for breakfast. To get more fiber, top then with a tablespoon of oat bran or wheat germ. • Include a salad with lunch or dinner • Use low-fat salad dressing • Add frozen vegetables to a can of soup • Bake potatoes and yams and eat them with the skin on • Replace red meat with beans a few times a week • Snack on air-popped popcorn or fresh or dried fruit Research shows that people who react to stress in an angry, hostile way are more likely to have heart attacks. The key is to first figure out what triggers your stress. Read books and articles about stress. Learn how to handle life’s hurdles in a positive way. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep will help, too. And finally, take control of your health by getting regular check-ups. A doctor will evaluate your risk of heart disease and suggest further lifestyle changes that will help you reach your goal. Heart and Vascular Center of Bradenton 2101 61st St. W. Bradenton, FL 34209 941-761-4448 - EECP (Enhanced External Counterpulsation) is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that can relieve or eliminate Angina.r For many patients, EECP treatment can reduce the frequency and intensity of chest pain or eliminate it altogether.
r After EECP treatment, many patients can decrease the need for anti-anginal medication.
r EECP may stimulate the opening, or formation of, small branches of blood vessels to create a natural bypass around narrowed or blocked arteries.
r You may be a candidate for EECP if: • You have Angina • Nitroglycerin does not provide adequate relief from your Angina • You have been told you are not a candidate for bypass surgery or angioplasty • You underwent bypass surgery or angioplasty in the past, and Angina has returned.
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