Heart diseaseis a broad term for any condition that affects the heart and blood vessels.This includes:
heart attack
stroke
high blood pressure
stable angina
unstable angina
congestive heart failure
poor circulation
arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats.
Certain major risk factors have been shown to increase aperson’s chances of developing heart disease. Experts also believe other factorsmay also add to one’s risk. These are called contributing factors. Some ofthese risk and contributing factors can be treated, or even prevented.
Major risk factors include:
family history of heart disease
early heart attack or sudden death of father or brother before theage of 55
early heart attack or sudden death of mother or sister before theage of 65
increasing age
45 years or older for men
55 years or older for women
being male
Other risk factors include:
smoking
high blood pressure
high blood cholesterol
being physically inactive
being overweight or obese
diabetes
Contributing factors include:
choosing unhealthy habits to handle stress,for example, driving too fast, drinking alcohol,or getting angry
using birth control pillswhen you are a smoker or have high blood pressure
drinking too much alcohol
having a change in sex hormone levels, as a result of natural or surgicalmenopause
What is the information for this topic?
The American Heart Association, calledAHA, provides dietary guidelines for healthy eating which can reducethree risk factors forheart disease:
high blood cholesterol
high blood pressure
excess body weight
Apply the following guidelines to the overall eating pattern.
Achieve an overall healthy eating pattern.
Choose a balanced diet with foods from all majorfood groups, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and grains.
Eat 5 or more servings per day of fruits and vegetables.
Eat 6 or more servings per day of grain products, including whole grains.
Include fat-free and low-fat milk products, beans, skinless poultry,and lean meats.
Eat at least 2 servings of fish per week, especially fatty fish.
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Avoid excess intake of calories.
Maintain a level of physical activity that achieves fitnessand balances energy output with calorie intake. For weightreduction, one must burn more calories through exercise than one takes in.
Limit foods that are high in calories and/or low in nutritionalquality, including those with a high amount of added sugar.
Achieve a healthy cholesterol level.
Limit foods with a high content of saturated fat and cholesterol.Instead, substitute grains and unsaturated fatthat comes from vegetables, fish, legumes, and nuts.
Limit cholesterolto 300 milligrams (mg) a day for those without heart disease or any heartdisease risk factors. For those with heart disease or its risk factors, limitcholesterol to 200 mg a day.
Limit trans-fats.Trans-fats are found in foods that have partially hydrogenatedvegetable oils, such as packaged cookies, crackers and other bakedgoods, commercially prepared fried foods, and some margarines.
Achieve a healthy blood pressurelevel.
Limit salt intake to less than 6 grams or 2,400 mg ofsodiumper day. This equates to slightly more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day.
If a person drinks alcohol,daily intake should be held to no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2drinks per day for men.
In summary, the AHA recommends that:
Total fat intake per day is no more than 30 percent of total calories.
Saturated fat intake is less than 10 percent of total calories.
Cholesterol intake is less than 300 mg per day.
Although the AHA guidelines were developed to helphealthy people prevent heart disease, they can also benefit thosewith other medical conditions. This includes:
diabetes
kidney disease
preexisting heart disease
elevated LDL,the so-called bad cholesterol
congestive heart failure
obesity
For people who already have heart disease, AHA recommendsfollowing the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s TherapeuticLifestyle Changes, called TLC, diet. This diet is outlined in detail atwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/lifestyles.htm. Here is a summary:
Make sure less than 25-35 percent of each day’s total calories come from fat.
No more than 7 percent of total calories per day should come fromsaturated fat.
Eat foods with less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.
Limit salt intake to 2400 mg per day.
Eat just enough calories to achieve or maintain weight within a healthyrange.
Anyone thinking about trying the TLC diet should talk with thedoctor first to learn what is a reasonable daily calorie level for him or her. Aregistered dietician can also be helpful in making eating habit changes andin learning how to choose foods and plan menus.
When the TLC diet does not lower blood cholesterol levels enough,the doctor may suggest adding more fiber to the diet. There are also cholesterol-lowering foods available. These are foods such as margarines and saladdressings that contain plant sterol esters or plant stanol esters. Somepeople may also need to take cholesterol-lowering medicine.
