From the Heart to the Brain, with Love
The link between heart disease and stroke
Since February is American Heart Month, there is a focus on heart disease prevention. Did you know that if you take care of your heart you’ll also reduce your risk for stroke?
Coronary heart disease and stroke share many of the same risk factors such as high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese. Individuals with coronary heart disease, angina, or who have had a heart attack due to atherosclerosis, have more than twice the risk of stroke than those who haven’t. If you have atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, you are very likely to have atherosclerosis in other parts of your body.
Here’s what happens: Those unhealthy behaviors can lead to narrowing of the blood vessels. That reduces blood flow to the brain. It also leads to hardening of the arteries in the heart and the brain. When your brain doesn’t get the blood flow it needs, it can begin to malfunction. If blood flow to the brain is abruptly blocked by a clot or a mass blocks a blood vessel, a stroke can occur. This type of stroke accounts for 87 percent of all cases.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Stroke ranks fifth, and it is also a leading cause of severe, long-term disability. How can you change your lifestyle to reduce your risk of heart disease and/or stroke?
• Diet. Eating a healthy diet can help you reduce three risk factors for heart disease and stroke – high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess body weight.
• Exercise. Daily physical exercise for at least 30 minutes will help your heart and help you lose weight.
• BP. Do you know your numbers? High blood pressure may not have any symptoms. The only way you will know if your pressure is high is to have it checked.
• Tobacco. If you stop smoking, you will reduce another risk factor. The chemicals in tobacco smoke harm your blood cells. They also can damage the function of your heart and the structure and function of your blood vessels.
Understanding your risks and developing a healthy lifestyle plan are key to reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke.