Taking Your Heart Health To Heart
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Taking Your Heart Health To Heart

Only you can prevent heart disease

Image: The team at SVMC Cardiology celebrates Wear Red Day on February 7.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), one in every five deaths in the U.S. is the result of heart disease. The AHA also notes that unless we change our habits, 60% of Americans will likely be affected by heart disease by 2050.

But the news isn’t all bad. According to the World Heart Federation, 80% of all cardiovascular disease is preventable. In fact, one study found that people who switched to favorable lifestyle habits, such as not smoking, not being obese, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet, lowered their heart disease risk by nearly 50%.

If you’re ready to take charge of your heart health, prioritize these lifestyle changes for the biggest impact:

Eat heart-healthy foods

A heart-healthy diet can help lower your risk of heart disease.  

Heart-healthy items include:

  • High-fiber foods, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables

  • Foods with healthy unsaturated fats, like avocados, nuts, and fish (like salmon and sardines) 

Foods to avoid or limit include:

  • Saturated fats, including fatty meats (like beef), full-fat dairy products (like whole milk or cheese), and tropical oils (like coconut and palm oil)

  • Added sugars, like sweetened beverages, candy, cereals, and desserts 

  • Processed foods with a lot of sodium (salt), like deli meats and bacon, frozen dinners, and some canned foods

Drink alcohol only in moderation

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. If you choose to drink alcohol, drink only in moderation. That means 1 drink or less in a day for women and 2 drinks or less in a day for men.  

Aim for a healthy weight

People who are overweight or have obesity are at an increased risk for heart disease. Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help lower your risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high blood glucose, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. 

Get active

Getting regular physical activity can help prevent heart disease. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. If you’re new to exercise, begin with short walks and build up your strength and endurance before taking up more vigorous activities like biking, jogging, dancing, swimming, or pickleball.

Quit smoking  

Quitting smoking helps lower your risk of heart disease and heart attack. In fact, within 20 minutes of quitting your heart rate and blood pressure drop. After one year, your risk of heart disease is cut in half.

Manage stress

Stress can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease. By getting stress under control, you can prevent serious health problems. Many things can be done to manage stress, including meditation, yoga, deep breathing, volunteering, spending time with loved ones, and doing something creative. The key is to find the activity that brings you joy and find ways to incorporate it into your daily routine

Get enough sleep

Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Failing to get enough sleep or quality sleep can have a huge impact on your heart health. In fact, one study found that people who regularly get less than six hours of sleep had a 25% greater risk of having poor cardiovascular health. People who slept less than six hours and had sleep apnea experienced a more than 200% greater chance of poor heart health than those who slept longer. 

 

Scott Rogge, MD, FACC, is the Medical Director at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Cardiology

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COVID-19 Vaccine for Those Pregnant or Nursing

Here are the facts you need to know to make a good decision about whether or not to recieve the COVID-19 vaccine: 

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic we found out that pregnant women with COVID-19 disease are more likely to get a very severe infection.  According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, they are three times more likely to have to go to an intensive care unit, two to three times more likely to need advanced life support and a breathing tube, and sadly, they have a small increased risk of death due to COVID-19. They may have worse pregnancy outcomes, such as pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth. It is difficult to know yet whether COVID infection causes these outcomes or whether they happened at the same time by chance.
  • Similarly, COVID-19 can cause chronic inflammation, which could decrease fertility in both men and women.
  • The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has provided Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is recommended for everyone over the age of 16 who has not had an allergic reaction to the ingredients in the vaccine. Research has shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 as soon as 28 days after the booster vaccine. These agencies directed all their effort to this work, day and night, which is how the vaccine was approved for use so quickly. No steps were skipped. 
  • It is not possible to get COVID infection from the vaccine. The virus is not in the vaccine.  It is like the flu shot, which exposes the body to something that looks like the part of the virus, so our bodies do the natural process of making antibodies to protect against disease. 
  • Many people have minor side effects, like tiredness, fever, muscle pain, headache, and pain where the shot was given. They could last a few days.  A few people feel very unwell. Having symptoms is a sign that the vaccine is working, and antibodies are being made.
  • Pregnant women were not allowed to be part of the research, which is very common for medical research trials. There were no reports of negative outcomes among the trial participants who became pregnant during the trial.
  • The vaccine does use a new technology called mRNA.  Two shots are required 3 weeks apart. Scientists believe that the mRNA can’t get into the placenta or the breast milk. The same kind of technology made vaccine against Ebola disease.  It has been given to pregnant and breastfeeding women.  No problems for mom or baby were found from this vaccine.
  • The vaccine does not cause birth defects or infertility. While the spike proteins on the virus and those found on the cells of the placenta are similar, they do not share enough amino acid sequences for the immune system to become confused.
  • The vaccine should also be offered to those who are breastfeeding/lactating. Like pregnant individuals, those who were breastfeeding were not included in the clinical trials for the vaccine. According to the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the benefits of vaccination outweigh the very small safety concerns, and you do not have to stop breastfeeding because you get the vaccine.

Experts trusted by your providers recommend strongly that pregnant women be encouraged to get the vaccine.  We can’t tell you whether to get the shot, but we trust that you will make the right decision for you and your baby. Here are some points to consider as you decide:

  • How many people are getting sick with COVID-19 in your community?
  • What is your personal risk of getting COVID-19 based on your job or other exposures?
  • What is your risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, and what is the possible harm to your baby? What other medical conditions could increase this risk? Diabetes, being overweight, having lung, kidney, heart or immune illnesses or taking medicine that depresses immune function ( like chemotherapy, methotrexate, prednisone). 
  • Consider how well the vaccine is reported to work. These vaccines work exceedingly well!
  • What are the risks to other people in your household if you get sick, especially if you are living with people at risk for serious illness, like the elderly.
  • How do you feel about the lack of scientific evidence about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness for pregnant women?
  • How do you feel you would manage the reported side effects of the vaccine?

If you do get the vaccine:

  • Pregnant women who experience fever, either as a result of COVID-19 infector or following vaccination, should take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat fever, since a very high fever can harm a baby. A fever is far more likely as a result of COVID-19 infection than it is from vaccination.
  • Your health professional will give you information about enrolling in the V-Safe After Vaccination Health Checker. You can provide feedback on how the vaccine experience went for up to a week following your vaccination and get help with any concerns that may arise.

If you have questions, please ask your OB/GYN.

Whatever you choose, be sure to continue with the important prevention steps like avoiding visits with those outside your household, masking and distancing when in public, and washing your hands frequently.

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