American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease

Michael Miller, Stephen Havas, Marla Mendelson, Martin S. Lipsky

Description

More Than 3 Million American Medical Association Books Sold.

American's most trusted medical authority shows you how to prevent and treat heart disease.

When you or someone you love is diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, it's important to know the facts, which can help save a life. In the American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease, you will learn everything you need to know about heart disease to ensure a long, full, and active life.

Authoritative and up to date, the American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease explains the most common forms of heart and blood vessel disease and lays out practical strategies to get you on the road to better health. The book also provides up-to-date information on women and their unique heart disease risks and symptoms as well as information on hart6-healthy eating, including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's DASH diet.

Even if heart disease runs in your family, you can still lower your risk of developing it by following the simple guidelines found in this comprehensive resource. For every 3 pounds you lose, there is a corresponding drop of about 2mm Hg in your diastolic pressure, and by bringing down your blood pressure to healthy levels, your risk of stroke can be reduced by 35 to 50 percent. If you have already had a heart attack or a stroke, this book offers vital practical information on preventing another one.

Highlighting prevention, lifestyle changes, testing, and treatments, the American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease provides you and your loved ones with the essential tools you need to reclaim a healthier life.
Introduction.

1. Your Heart and Circulatory System.

2. Managing Your Cholesterol Level.

3. High Blood Pressure.

4. Quitting Smoking.

5. Exercise and Physical Activity.

6. Eating Healthfully for a Lifetime.

7. Overweight and Obesity.

8. Controlling Diabetes.

9. Stress.

10. Physical Examinations and Diagnostic tests.

11. Heart Attack.

12. Heart Valve Problems.

13. Stroke and Other Diseases of the Blood Vessels.

14. Congestive Heart Failure.

15. Arrhythmias.

16. Women and Heart Disease.

Appendix. Managing Your Health Care.

Glossary.

Index.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Santé du quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Fitness
• Heart
• American Medical Association
• Health
• Asociación Médica Estadounidense
• Diseases

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 22 septembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470450895
• Langue: English

Extrait

American Medical Association
Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease
American Medical Association
Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease
Essential Information You and Your Family Need to Know about Having a Healthy Heart
American Medical Association
Martin S. Lipsky, MD Marla Mendelson, MD Stephen Havas, MD, MPH Michael Miller, MD
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2008 by the American Medical Association. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico
Design and composition by Navta Associates, Inc.
Illustration Credits: Copyright 2005 American Diabetes Association from www.diabetes.org , reprinted with permission from the American Diabetes Association, pp. 108 and 110 ; adapted by the American Medical Association from the American Heart Association Web site www.americanheart.org , pp. 81 , 91 , 121 , and 276 ; Comstock, p. 77 (bottom left); Creatas Images, p. 244 ; National Cancer Institute, p. 85 ; photo courtesy of ON-X valves, p. 207 ; PhotoDisc, pp. 53 , 77 (top left, middle right, bottom right), and 174; Texas Heart Institute, www.texasheartinstitute.org , p. 78 ; Thinkstock, p. 77 (middle left)
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The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader s discretion. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Lipsky, Martin S.
American Medical Association guide to preventing and treating heart disease : essential information you and your family need to know about having a healthy heart / Martin S. Lipsky, Marla Mendelson, Stephen Havas, Michael Miller.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-471-75024-6 (paper: alk. paper)
1. Heart-Diseases-Popular works. 2. Cardiology-Popular works. I. Mendelson, Marla. II. American Medical Association. III. Title.
RC672.L57 2007 616.1 2-dc22
2006022016
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Michael D. Maves, MD, MBA
Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer
Bernard L. Hengesbaugh
Robert A. Musacchio, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Senior Vice President, Publishing and Business Services
Anthony J. Frankos
Mary Lou White
Vice President, Business Products
Executive Director, Editorial and Operations
Martin S. Lipsky, MD
Marla Mendelson, MD
Michael Miller, MD
Medical Editor
Medical Editor, Cardiology
Medical Editor, Preventive Cardiology
Stephen Havas, MD
Senior Medical Editor; Vice President, Science, Quality, Public Health, and Medical Education
Patricia Dragisic
Dorothea Guthrie
Mary Ann Albanese
Coralee Montes
Senior Managing Editor
Writer
Art Editor
Editorial Assistant
Specialists

Richard M. Gore, MD
Linda Holt, MD
Andrew Telfer, MD
Radiology
Gynecology
Electrophysiology
Contents
Introduction
1 Your Heart and Circulatory System
2 Managing Your Cholesterol Level
3 High Blood Pressure
4 Quitting Smoking
5 Exercise and Physical Activity
6 Eating Healthfully for a Lifetime
7 Overweight and Obesity
8 Controlling Diabetes
9 Stress
10 Physical Examinations and Diagnostic Tests
11 Heart Attack
12 Heart Valve Problems
13 Stroke and Other Diseases of the Blood Vessels
14 Congestive Heart Failure
15 Arrhythmias
16 Women and Heart Disease
Appendix Managing Your Health Care
Glossary
Index
Introduction
F or many years, the number one cause of death in the United States has been heart disease, which kills more than 650,000 people per year. In addition, almost 25 million people were living with a diagnosis of heart disease in 2004, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The American Medical Association wants people to know and understand that aside from some inherited or congenital conditions, heart disease is largely preventable. It is important to remember, too, that preventive medicine is for every age group and should start in childhood; parents can guide their children to a healthy adulthood by helping them control their weight, make good food choices, enjoy regular physical activity, learn to control stress, and refrain from smoking.
In recent years, more and more children have become obese or over-weight, and many cases of type 2 diabetes are reported earlier in life-that is, in teenagers or young adults-than was ever heard of in former years. Good lifestyle choices at an early age help set the course for a healthy life and specifically help minimize chances of heart disease and other chronic diseases.
In the American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease , you will learn more about the importance of cholesterol, also called blood cholesterol, a substance that occurs in our body cells and also in some foods. If levels are high, cholesterol can be deposited in blood vessel walls as plaque (fatty deposits). One of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease is a high total blood cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or more. Adults of any age-whether young adults, middle-aged, or seniors-should know their cholesterol levels. A total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL is desirable, a level of from 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high, and a level of 240 and above is considered dangerous. Control of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol) is essential for good heart health.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is another major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. One of three American adults has high blood pressure, and the numbers are increasing as our country ages and becomes more overweight. Having high blood pressure can affect your body in several ways. It can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stroke, an aortic aneurysm, an enlarged heart, kidney damage, or eye damage. All adults, besides knowing their blood cholesterol numbers, should also know their blood pressure numbers. If you are black or have a family history of high blood pressure, you are at special risk and should therefore be especially aware of your blood pressure numbers. A healthy reading in an adult is 120/80 mm Hg or lower. Prehypertension is diagnosed after two or more readings between 120/80 mm Hg and 139/89 mm Hg, and changes in lifestyle are recommended to prevent the development of hypertension.
To help prevent cardiovascular disease, quitting smoking is another lifestyle change you can make to reduce your risk. Tobacco smoke endangers you by damaging the lining of your arteries, increasing the deposits of plaque, and causing your blood to clot more easily. Smoking also decreases your HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or good ) cholesterol. Furthermore, the nicotine and carbon monoxide in smoke reduce the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry and thereby make your heart beat faster and work harder.
Eating a sensible diet and exercising regularly, in tandem, are also vital to preventing heart disease. This volume explains the benefits of the DASH diet, a comprehensive eating plan developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and it calls for foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, total fat, and sodium, while emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products such as fat-free, or skim, milk. Together with regular exercise, using the DASH diet plan can lower your blood cholesterol levels and your blood pressure in as little as 2 to 4 weeks.
Another way you can take control of your cardiovascular health, as mentioned above in connection with diet, is to start a regular exercise program. A sedentary lifestyle is hard on your entire body. Thus, being inactive is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease-right along with elevated blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking. Besides helping you to manage your blood pressure, exercising regularly, along with sensible eating, is necessary for controlling your weight. To stay heart healthy, doctors recommend that people take time to exercise at least 5 days a week, but preferably every day. If your current fitness level is low, talk to your doctor about appropriate exercise for you; he or she will probably recommend that you start by taking walks.
Besides the risk factors already mentioned, other contributing factors for cardiovascular disease are being overweight, having diabetes mellitus, and stress. Even if you are sig