10 questions to ask your doctor about heart disease
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10 questions to ask your doctor about heart disease
Next time you get your annual physical, be prepared to ask questions. Especially questions about your heart health and heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. every year but many of those deaths can be prevented by proactively asking questions about your heart and how to keep it healthy.
Here are 10 questions to consider asking next time you have your annual visit:
1. What are the symptoms typical for heart disease?
Most of us know that chest pain or pressure can be a sign of a heart ailment or even a heart attack. But there are many other atypical symptoms that are not even on most people’s radar. Atypical symptoms could include shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, sweating, dizziness, and leg swelling. It’s also important to remember that men and women can have different symptoms. Men often report classic symptoms of chest pressure that may go down the arm and increase with physical activity or anxiety. Women are more likely to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain such as neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back, pain in one or both arms, or abdominal discomfort.
2. What should my ideal waist circumference be?
Waist circumference can be a good indicator of the possibility of a future heart attack. That’s because abdominal fat or carrying excess weight around your midsection increases the likelihood of heart disease. The average woman should measure 35 inches or less in maximum girth around the waist. The typical man should have a maximal girth of 40 inches or less. To get the most accurate measurement, have your arms straight down by your side and measure at the elbow joint using a cloth tape measure. A high waist circumference is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, which is an abnormal amount of fat in the blood.
3. What should my blood pressure be?
The optimal blood pressure for most adults should be a blood pressure of less than 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure can lead to a heart attack and increase the risk for aneurysms, stroke and even dementia. Fight high blood pressure by making lifestyle changes such as getting in regular exercise, losing weight if needed and eating a healthy diet with less salt.
4. How low should my LDL or “bad” cholesterol be?
LDL or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Excess LDL gets deposited into your blood vessels, which can eventually lead to clogged arteries. Ideally, LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dl. Levels of 100 to 129 mg/dl are acceptable for people with no health issues but may be of more concern for those with heart disease or heart disease risk factors. A reading of 130 to 159 mg/dl is borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dl is high. A reading of 190 mg/dl or higher is considered very high.
5. Should I take a daily aspirin?
Many doctors prescribe patients to take a low-dose (81 milligrams) aspirin daily. This can help stop tiny blood cells or platelets, from sticking together and forming clots that can cause arteries to clog, thus preventing a heart attack. Often, people with diabetes or with high blood pressure are also recommended to take a daily aspirin for therapy. However, a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin is not for everyone. For some, it could increase the risk of bleeding and is not recommended for cardiovascular risk reduction in healthy people.
6. Are there physical activities I should avoid?
Physical activity can boost and maintain heart health and there are few, if any activities considered harmful. But anyone with a potentially life-threatening disease such as cancer or blocked arteries that have not been treated with medication or other procedures should always consult with their physician first to get their professional opinion on what is safe for you to participate in.
7. Does my family medical history affect my heart health?
Your family heart health history is important to know as heart disease risk factors and likelihood are closely linked to genetics. The more you know of your parents, grandparents, siblings, and other close relatives heart health histories – did any of them have heart disease, heart attacks or stroke - the more you are able to share with your physician allowing them to assess your risk. Be sure to let them know if you have had a first-degree relative (parents, full-blooded siblings, and children) who has been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease or died suddenly before the age of 55 if they were men or 65 if they were women.
8. What can I do to prevent heart disease?
Obviously there are certain things you cannot change such as your family heart health history. But there are certain things you can do to control risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes. For high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, you can follow a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly, losing weight if necessary and by eating a healthy diet moderate in healthy fats and low sodium and take any medications if needed. If you smoke, quitting will be the single most important thing you can do to improve heart health right away.
9. What can I do to relieve stress?
When stress is constant, your body remains in high gear – although the link between stress and heart disease isn’t clear, chronic stress may cause some people to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or eating unhealthy foods which can increase blood pressure damaging artery walls. Managing stress is good for overall health. There are many ways to bring stress levels down through exercise, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking or drinking too much coffee, joining a support group or seeking professional mental health counseling to deal more effectively with it.
10. Do I need to lose weight?
Overweight and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In the US, 69% of adults are either overweight or obese. Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with higher risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity is a strong predictor of sleep disordered breathing. For overweight or obese adults with other cardiovascular risk factors (such as high blood pressure), maintaining a weight loss of 3-5% of body weight can produce clinically meaningful results. Greater weight loss can produce even greater results on BP, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar.