About

Atherosclerosis is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can stop the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or
stroke.

FYI

Atherosclerosis causes Coronary Heart Disease because of the plaque build up.

Plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat and other substances that narrow the arteries and reduce the amount of blood that can flow to your heart and other organs.

The real danger occurs when the plaque completely blocks an artery or a chunk of it breaks off and causes a clot that stops blood flow. If this happens near the heart, a heart attack occurs. If it happens near the brain, a stroke occurs.

Prevention

By choosing a heart-healthy diet, you can reduce your chance of developing atherosclerosis , the blockage of arteries that eventually leads to heart disease.

Here are some diet tips that will help you maintain a healthy heart:

• Limit saturated fat and sugar. This will help reduce total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol , increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol, lower blood pressure , decrease your risk of developing diabetes , and help you maintain an appropriate weight. Choose non-fat or fat-free options whenever possible. For example, have baked potatoes instead of French fries, choose low-fat dressings, and skip the cheese on your burger. In addition, try to cook with oils that are low in saturated fat such as olive, canola, corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed, peanut, and sesame. Stay away from high saturated fat oils and shortenings, including palm and coconut.
• Avoid any food that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. These are called “trans fat” and are extremely unhealthy. These are mainly found in pastries, piecrusts, biscuits, pizza dough, cookies, crackers, stick margarines, and shortening.
• Limit your salt intake.
• Don’t skip breakfast. People who eat a healthy breakfast tend to eat less during the rest of the day, have lower cholesterol, and are able to concentrate better at work and at home.
• Read food labels. Avoid high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium snack foods or fast foods.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. As they are high in vitamins and minerals.
• Eat out less often and have fewer packaged foods. Home-cooked meals tend to be lower in calories, salt, and fat than restaurant-cooked or packaged foods. Drink less alcohol. Drinking more than two drinks per day can raise blood pressure and increases your calorie intake, which, in turn, may increase your risk of developing heart disease.
• Eat slowly. Pay attention to how you feel, don’t have seconds unless you’re hungry, and stop when you’re full. Despite what your mother may have said, you do not always need to finish everything on your plate.

About

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HEART WHEN YOU HAVE AFIB?  

When you have AFib, your heart’s electrical impulses don’t start in the SA node. Instead, they start in another part of the heart and cause the atria (top chambers) to beat too quickly and irregularly. This prevents blood from being pumped effectively into your ventricles (the lower chambers). 

HOW AFIB CAN LEAD TO STROKES? 

The biggest concern you have with AFib is the risk of stroke.  When your blood isn’t effectively pumped into the left ventricle, the blood may pool in your heart and form solid clumps called blood clots.  These blood clots may break loose and start traveling throughout your arteries. If they partially (or fully) block blood flow to your brain, brain cells will start dying, and this causes a stroke.

• AFib increases your risk of stroke by nearly 5 times.
• Strokes that occur in people who have AFib are usually more severe and are about twice as likely to be fatal or lead to a severe disability.
• In the United States, every 12 seconds, someone has a stroke related to AFib.

A stroke is of serious concern because it can cause blindness, difficulty walking and talking, paralysis, permanent disability, or death, and the damage is usually irreversible.

Your risk of developing a stroke is even greater if you smoke or have other conditions such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or heart disease . Getting plenty of physical activity can decrease your stroke risk. But, if you’ve had a stroke, it often leaves you too weak to get up and exercise (or even walk).

If you have any symptoms of atrial fibrillation, make sure you contact your healthcare provider immediately.

WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING AFIB?

• Age: The older you are, the greater your risk.
• Family history: An increased risk of atrial fibrillation may be genetic.
• Diabetes: If you do not have well controlled blood sugar level, you are at risk.
• High blood pressure: This is one of the most common causes of AFib.
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine use
• Stress
  
• Diseases that affect the health of the heart, including:
  • Coronary heart disease. Anyone with heart disease, including valve problems and a history of heart attack and heart surgery, has an increased risk of AFib.
  • Chronic lung disease
    
  • Congestive heart failure
    
  • Cardiomyopathy (disease of heart muscle that causes heart failure)
  • Congenital (present at birth) heart disease
  • Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs)

AFib and Sexual Health

Some people may be hesitant to “over exert” themselves with normal sexual activity, there really is no reason to stop. As long as you are cleared for normal activity by your healthcare provider then there is no reason to change anything in your sex life. Refraining from sex could cause unnecessary stress and tension in your life/relationship. You should pay attention to anything that may not feel right during sex, like pain, numbness or erectile dysfunction and alert your healthcare provider immediately for a checkup.

FYI

AFib affects more than 5.1 million people in the U.S. today—and experts expect that number to reach nearly 12 million by 2050.

Symptoms

Some people may have no symptoms at all. Others may notice one or more of the following:

• Racing, irregular heartbeat
• Heart palpitations (feelings that your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering)
• Shortness of breath especially when exercising
• Weakness
• Chest pain (angina)
• Dizziness or fainting
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Confusion
• Sweating

Prevention

The best way to reduce your risk of developing AFib is by leading a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you:

• Get regular physical activity, at least 3 times per week.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet, low in saturated fats, trans fats, sodium and cholesterol
  
• Manage high blood pressure and take medication as recommended by your healthcare provider.
• Drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation
• If you smoke, quit smoking

Diagnosis

Physical Exam

• A complete cardiac exam. This will include listening to the rate and rhythm of your heartbeat and taking your pulse and blood pressure reading.
• Your healthcare provider will likely check for any signs of heart failure, and other symptoms of heart problems, such as swelling in your legs or feet.  

Medical and Family Histories

Your healthcare provider will likely ask you questions such as:

• What symptoms are you having? Are your feet or ankles swollen? (this is a possible sign of heart failure) Do you have any chest pain?
• Do you have other health problems, such as a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease, diabetes, or thyroid problems?
  
• Does anyone in your family have a history of AFib? Has anyone in your family ever had heart disease or high blood pressure? Has anyone had thyroid problems? Does your family have a history of other illnesses or health problems?
• Do you smoke or are you a heavy user of alcohol or caffeine?

Electrocardiogram (EKG):

• An EKG is the most useful test for diagnosing AFib. It’s a simple, painless way of recording how fast your heart is beating and its rhythm (steady or irregular). It also records the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through your heart. Depending on the frequency of your AFib episodes, your healthcare provider may ask you to wear a portable EKG monitor at home (called a Holter monitor) in order to record your heart’s rhythm over a longer period (usually 24 to 48 hours).
• Your healthcare provider may also order a blood test, chest X-ray, or echocardiogram (a test that shows your heart in motion) to look for the underlying cause of your AFib as well as any signs of complications.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

• How serious is my AFib?
• What are my treatment options?
• What changes do I need to make in my lifestyle including diet modification and physical activity level?
• How often should I be screened for heart disease or other complications of AFib?
• If you have any other health conditions, remember to ask: How can I best manage them together?

Remember: Don’t hesitate to ask questions any time you don’t understand something. When it comes to your health, there’s no such thing as a stupid question.

Treatments

Once you have been diagnosed with AFib, your healthcare provider may need to take medical action to get your heart rhythm back to normal. This is called rhythm control. Rhythm control allows the atria and ventricles to work together to efficiently pump blood to the body. He or she may also prescribe medication to prevent strokes.

Treatment may include:

1.    Medications to control rhythm: These will help to slow down the rate of your heartbeat or manage your heart’s rhythm. Different types include:

• Rate Controllers. These medications will help to slow your heart rate to return it to normal. They are usually prescribed to individuals who cannot engage in any physical activity.
• Rhythm Controllers. These medications will help to return and maintain a normal heartbeat. They are usually given to people who recently have started having AFib.

 2.    Medications for prevention of stroke: 

• Antiplatelets. These are sometimes referred to as blood thinners although they don’t really thin the blood. They are given to people with a low risk, to help prevent a stroke.
• Anticoagulants. These will help to prevent the formation of blood clots and will reduce your risk of a stroke.

Remember to always take the prescribed doses of your medication—especially when consequences such as having a stroke are involved.

3.    Electrical Cardioversion: These are low-energy shocks given to your heart to return it to a normal rhythm.

4.    Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: This is a procedure that is used to destroy abnormal tissue in the heart, which may be interfering with your heart’s electrical signals.  You will be given anesthetic drugs that will put you to sleep for this procedure. This is usually done when other treatments do not work.

Resources

For More Information on AFib Visit:

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Stop Afib
Men’s Health Network

About

Heart failure can have many causes, but the most common ones are:

• Narrowing or blockage of the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle.
• Heart attack, which causes scar tissue that weakens the heart and keeps it from working as well as it should.
• High blood pressure, which makes the muscles in the heart thicken so that the heart doesn’t pump efficiently and must work harder.
• Damaged heart valves, which can make some blood move through the heart in the wrong direction, resulting in an enlarged heart that doesn’t pump as well.
• Diseases of the heart muscle itself (called cardiomyopathy).
• Defects of the heart from birth (also known as congenital heart defects).
• Infection of the heart valves (called endocarditis).
• Infection of the heart muscle (called myocarditis).

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND SEXUAL HEALTH

Most people with heart failure can continue to enjoy sexual relations once their symptoms are under control, but it is necessary to keep constant communication with your cardiologist and primary care physician to ensure all medications are working properly and no other symptoms are appearing. The cardiologist may perform multiple stress tests during the office visit to assess the amount of activity your heart could substantially handle.

FYI

Over 3 million men currently suffer from CHF and about 350,000 more are diagnosed each year. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people 65 years and older.

Symptoms

If you or a family member has heart failure, chances are you’ve already made a trip to emergency room, or at least spent some time in the hospital. You can decrease the chances of another hospital stay by calling your healthcare provider right away if any of these warning signs appear.

• Sudden weight gain (3 or more pounds in one day, 5 or more pounds in one week, or whatever amount your healthcare provider told you to report).
• Shortness of breath (a feeling of not getting enough air) when you are not active
• Increased swelling of your feet, ankles, and legs
• Swelling or pain in the abdomen (stomach)
• Trouble sleeping (waking up short of breath, needing to use more pillows than usual)
• Fatigue, weakness, or tiring very easily
• Confusion or can’t think clearly
• Repeated, dry cough, especially when you are lying down
• Coughing or wheezing when you are active
• Coughing up pink or bloody mucus
• Dizziness or feeling like you might pass out
• The need to urinate many times at night
• Loss of appetite
• Low blood pressure
• Faster heart beat (may feel like the heart is racing)

Prevention

There is no cure for heart failure. However, if you manage it correctly, you can live a long, healthy, productive life. But it is very important for a person who has heart failure to carefully manage it by making lifestyle changes; such as:

• Follow a low-sodium eating plan
• Get regular, mild physical activity
• Stop smoking
• Lose weight, if overweight
• Drink very little alcohol, if any at all

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

• It’s important that you become proactive in your healthcare in order for you to get the best treatment. Here are some questions you can ask your healthcare provider about Congestive Heart Failure.
• What is my diagnosis?
• Is the heart failure mild, moderate, or severe?
• What are the treatment options for my condition? What side effects and benefits for each treatment option.
• What is likely to happen without treatment?
• Will I need to have surgery? If so, how long does it take to recovery from surgery?
• How will my daily life be affected? Can I still work, play sports, have sex, and do household chores?
• What are the most important things I can do to manage this condition?
• What types of foods should I eat and what should I avoid?

Treatments

For most people, heart failure is a life-long condition that cannot be cured, however there are steps your healthcare provider can take to manage your condition.

Your healthcare provider’s goal will be to:

• Treat any underlying causes, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes
• Reduce any symptoms you may experience
• Stop the heart failure from getting worse
• Improve your quality of life

In some cases where there is a specific cause of heart failure, such as damaged valves, surgery may be possible to replace the valves.  People with an abnormal heart rhythm may be able to have treatment, such as a pacemaker, to correct the problem.

If you have Congestive Heart Failure, you will probably need treatment for the rest of your life. You and your healthcare provider will need to work together to find the most effective treatments that you can manage in the long-term so you have the best quality of life possible.

Resources

For more information on heart failure visit:

American Heart Association
Medline Plus
Men’s Health Network

About

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

No one seems to have anything nice to say about cholesterol, but the fact is that you literally couldn’t live without it. Cholesterol helps build the walls of every cell in your body. It helps you digest your food, and is even involved in keeping your reproductive system in working order. But it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. Your body naturally produces some cholesterol and absorbs more from the foods you eat. Cholesterol is found only in animal-based products such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese. In addition, your body converts some plant based foods into cholesterol during digestion. If you end up with more cholesterol than you need, the excess goes into your bloodstream, where it begins to clog your blood vessels. That, as we mentioned, increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Understanding Your Cholesterol Levels

To measure your cholesterol levels, you’ll need a blood test. When you look at the results, you’ll see that there are actually two different kinds of cholesterol:

• LDL (low-density lipoprotein). Often called the “bad” cholesterol, because it clogs the blood vessels. An LDL score of 100 or less is great, while a score of 130 or more means you’re at risk of developing heart disease.
• HDL (high-density lipoprotein). Called the “good” cholesterol, because it actually removes the LDL. A score of 60 or more generally means your risk of heart disease is low, while a score of 40 or less may mean your risk is high. Ideally, you want your total cholesterol—the LDL number plus the HDL number plus other lipid components —to be less than 200. 200 to 239 is considered moderately high; 240 and above is high. If your healthcare provider tells you that your cholesterol is too high, you have several options:
  • Make lifestyle changes. This means eating less saturated fat and high cholesterol foods (meat, eggs, and dairy products), and eating more foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil, and avocados), which help decrease LDL cholesterol. It also means getting more exercise.
  • Take medication. Your healthcare provider can prescribe one of several drugs that have been proven to lower cholesterol.

RISK FACTORS FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE (CHD)

The risk factors for CHD are essentially the same as for high blood pressure, and include:

• Age (As you grow older, your risk increases.)
• Gender (Men have a greater risk earlier in life than women.)
• Genetics (You have a higher risk of developing heart disease if your parents or other close relatives have had it.)
• Ethnicity (African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans also have a higher risk for heart problems.)
• Being overweight or obese
• Lack of physical activity
• Smoking
• Stress
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine use
• Recreational drugs, such as cocaine
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels (LDL too high, HDL too low)

FYI

Heart Disease Facts in Men

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, averaging 1 in every 4 male deaths.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics and Caucasians. For Asian American or Pacific Islander men, heart disease is second only to cancer.
• About 8.5% of all Caucasian men, 7.9% of African American men, and 6.3% of Mexican American men have coronary heart disease.
• Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.
• Between 70-89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.

Atherosclerosis affects different people in different places, but it often affects the penis first. The most common sexual problem in men is erectile dysfunction (ED). ED affects up to 30 million men in the United States. Surprisingly, ED might be a sign of heart problems and that a heart attack or a stroke may follow, often in the next 3 to 5 years. It is important to discuss sexual health with your doctor. Not only can your doctor prescribe medications to improve sexual function, but together you may be able to prevent a major heart problem like a heart attack. 

Symptoms

The most common symptom of CHD is chest pain or discomfort (called angina). If you have angina, you may feel heaviness, as if someone is stepping on your heart. You’ll feel it under your breastbone or in your neck, arms, stomach, or upper back.

Other symptoms include:

• Tightness, squeezing, crushing, burning, choking, or aching
• Shortness of breath, restlessness, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue
• Erectile dysfunction may indicate heart problems. The arteries in the penis are smaller than the rest of the body so can show blood flow issues sooner than anywhere else in the body.

Angina

Angina pain usually happens with physical activity (such as running up stairs or even having sex), strong emotions—especially anger, rapid changes in the weather, and overeating. In most cases, angina pain lasts only a few minutes and either goes away on its own with rest or after taking a medicine called nitroglycerin. If you feel any of the above symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Do not ignore them. The fact that you experienced any symptoms of angina at all increases your risk of having a heart attack.

Prevention

If you don’t already have CHD, following a healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk by as much as 80%. This means

• Quitting smoking
• Eating a healthier diet and watching your weight
• Managing chronic conditions (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol)
• Getting more exercise daily
• Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake
• Reducing the stress in your life
• In addition, be sure to brush your teeth twice a day and see your dentist regularly. Sounds odd, but some interesting research suggests that there may be a connection between gum disease and an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. If you do have CHD, there is, unfortunately, no way to cure it completely.

However, the symptoms and causes can be managed by following the steps outlined above.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

It’s important that you become a proactive partner in your healthcare in order for you to get the best treatment. Here are some questions you can ask your healthcare provider about coronary heart disease.

1. What degree or percent of the arteries are blocked?
2. What type of treatment options do you recommend and why?
3. What are the side effects and benefits of the available treatment options?
4. Will I need to have surgery? If so, how long does it take to recovery from surgery?
5. How will my daily life be affected? Can I still work, play sports, have sex, and do household chores?
6. What are the most important things I can do to manage this condition?
7. What types of foods should I eat and what should I avoid?

Treatments

Your healthcare provider may suggest one or more of the following medical approaches to treat your condition:

Medication. Your healthcare provider may prescribe beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers to lower blood pressure and/or nitroglycerine to treat angina. Because these medications can cause serious side effects, take only the ones your healthcare provider prescribes—never take anything given to you by a friend or relative.

Surgery. Options include stents or angioplasty to open fully or partially blocked blood vessels, and coronary bypass surgery, where the surgeon is able to restore normal blood flow to the arteries by bypassing the blockage.

Resources

Find out more about Coronary Heart Disease at the following: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
American Heart Association
Men’s Health Network

About

RISK FACTORS

The risk factors for heart attack are generally the same as for high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.  The biggest risks are smoking (smokers suffer heart attacks on average 10 years younger than non-smokers do) and having had a previous heart attack. In the movies, heart attacks are often portrayed as painful and dramatic. But in real life, the symptoms are often more subtle.

HEART ATTACKS AND SEXUAL HEALTH

It is possible, though rare for a heart attack to occur during sexual activity. Having sex can put strain on a heart that might have previously suffered an attack. This is sometimes known as coital angina. Again, the risk is low so there is no reason to avoid normal sexual activity.

FYI

Annually, over a million people in the U.S. have a heart attack. Nearly half of them die. Many have permanent heart damage or die because they don’t seek immediate help

Men suffer heart attacks (also called acute myocardial infarctions) an average of 10 years younger than women do, and they’re more likely to die of a heart attack than women of the same age. The death rate for African American men is even higher than it is for whites. Sadly, half of the men who die of heart disease weren’t even aware that they had a problem. In fact, the most common symptom of a heart attack is, unfortunately, sudden death.

Symptoms

In the movies, heart attacks are often portrayed as painful and dramatic. But in real life, the symptoms are often more subtle. Below are the most common warning signs of heart attack.

• Angina including pain or pressure in the center of the chest, as if you’re being squeezed or stepped on. Chest pain associated with angina and heart attack can sometimes be mild. Don’t ignore it! The possibility that you’re having an actual heart attack is too great. If you experience chest pain for more than a minute, the pain comes on suddenly and is severe enough to double you over, or it doesn’t go away when you sit down, call 9-1-1
• Sudden pain in either or both arms, your back, shoulder, jaw, or neck. YThis is not the same pain as when you pull a muscle. If paired with chest pain at the same time, call 9-1-1.
• Sudden shortness of breath. Whether you think you’re having a heart attack or not, not being able to breathe is a good sign that something’s wrong. Shortness of breath combined with chest or upper body pain is another reason to call 9-1-1 immediately.
• Racing heartbeat. You know your body and you know how your pulse reacts when you exercise, are nervous, or are in a stressful situation. In most cases, your heart rate should slow down quickly after the event. If it doesn’t, you may be having a heart attack— especially if you’re having chest pain at the same time.
• Sudden cold sweats, nausea or feeling faint can be signs of a heart attack.

Prevention

The most effective way of preventing heart attacks is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, managing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Here are some tips to help you:

• Watch your weight. If you’re overweight, talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to lose those extra pounds. As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure—and losing weight will have an immediate, positive effect. In addition, if you carry your weight around your middle/abdomen, you have a higher risk of having high blood pressure than if you carry it around the hips and thighs.
• Get plenty of exercise. Thirty minutes every day is ideal and cuts your risk of developing high blood pressure by 25-50%, and it doesn’t have to be all at the same time. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, dancing, playing sports, or even doing yard work all count. A minute here, a minute there, and you’re up to 30 before you know it.
• Cut back on salt and sodium. Read the labels on the products you buy and look for ones that are “sodium free” or “reduced sodium.” And start adding less salt to foods you prepare.
• Eat right . Get more nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. For protein, go for lean meats, fish, and beans. Cut back on sugar, and stay away from foods that have saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
• Quit smoking. If you don’t smoke but you live in a home where someone else does, encourage him or her to quit.
• Watch what you drink. You should have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day (if you’re not a drinker, don’t start unless your healthcare provider advises you to) and don’t drink more than 2 caffeinated beverages per day.
• Have regular physical exams. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all symptoms—even ones that might not seem like they have anything to do with your heart at all. For example, erectile problems and depression can be caused by cardiovascular disease.
• Get your blood pressure checked regularly. Keep track of how/whether it changes over time. To make sure your blood pressure remains within a safe range, you may need frequent blood pressure readings. Sometimes this can be done with a home blood pressure monitoring device or at your local drug/health store.
• Relax. Research has shown that petting animals, and even looking at fish in an aquarium lowers blood pressure. Meditation is also successful in reducing blood pressure. Reading is also very relaxing, so visit your library and pick up a book for immediate stress relief.

Taking Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack

Studies show that when it comes to heart attacks and strokes, good old fashioned aspirin— not Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen)—is pretty close to a miracle drug. Studies have shown that men over 50 years of age, with coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, or any other cardiovascular disease risk factor—including having had a previous heart attack or stroke—can benefit greatly from taking aspirin every day. Aspirin can reduce damage to the heart during an actual heart attack, and can minimize the risk of having a second (or third or fourth) heart attack or stroke. It may even prevent the first heart attack or stroke from happening in the first place.

But be careful as there are some risks. If you are allergic to aspirin it may increase the risk of asthma. Aspirin can also increase the risk of stomach ulcers. In addition, because aspirin interferes with blood clotting, you shouldn’t take it if you’re already taking blood thinners. Ask your health care provider. Knowing your medical history, he or she will be able to tell you whether the benefits outweigh the risks. What works for others may not necessarily work for you.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

It’s important that you become proactive in your healthcare in order to get the best treatment. Here are some questions you can ask your healthcare provider.

1. What makes you suspect that I had a heart attack?
2. What type of heart attack treatment do you recommend?
3. What are the benefits, risks and possible complications of each treatment option?
4. What kinds of examinations and tests will be performed to evaluate the severity of the condition?
5. Will I be able to return to normal activities, including sexual activity, work and household chores, following heart attack?
6. Might cardiac rehabilitation services be needed? If so, can I have the contact information?
7. Do you recommend that I follow a special diet or exercise plan after heart attack?
8. Can you recommend a local or online support group for heart attack patients and their families and caregivers?

Treatments

If you experience any of the described symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately —and then take some aspirin. (Aspirin has been shown to reduce blood clots and increase the chance of surviving a heart attack.) Don’t call your spouse or a friend for help, you can contact them later. You have a better chance of surviving a heart attack if you get professional treatment within an hour of the onset of symptoms.

The longer you wait, the worse off you’ll be. If you’re not sure whether you’re actually having a heart attack, call, let the paramedics determine that.

The following treatments are usually started right away if a heart attack is suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed.

• Oxygen therapy
• Aspirin to thin your blood and prevent further blood clotting
• Nitroglycerin to reduce your heart’s workload and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries
• Treatment for chest pain

For people with the most serious form of heart attack, treatment options include:

• an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI):a combination of medication to dissolve the blood clot and restore the flow of blood to the heart (this is known as thrombolysis)
• surgery to widen the coronary artery, which is usually done using a technique called coronary angioplasty

Resources

For more information about Heart Attacks visit:

WebMD
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
American Heart Association
Men’s Health Network

About

No one seems to have anything nice to say about cholesterol, but the fact is that you literally couldn’t live without it. Cholesterol helps build the walls of every cell in your body. It helps you digest your food, and is even involved in keeping your reproductive system in working order. But it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. Your body naturally produces some cholesterol and absorbs more from the foods you eat. Cholesterol is found only in animal-based products such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, and cheese.

In addition, your body converts some plant based foods into cholesterol during digestion. If you end up with more cholesterol than you need, the excess goes into your bloodstream, where it begins to clog your blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke.

FYI

Understanding Your Cholesterol Levels

To measure your cholesterol levels, you’ll need a blood test. When you look at the results, you’ll see that there are actually two different kinds of cholesterol:

• LDL (low-density lipoprotein). It’s often called the “bad” cholesterol, because it clogs the blood vessels. An LDL score of 100 or less is great, while a score of 130 or more means you’re at risk of developing heart disease.
• HDL (high-density lipoprotein). Often called the “good” cholesterol, because it actually removes the LDL. A score of 60 or more generally means your risk of heart disease is low, while a score of 40 or less may mean your risk is high. Ideally, you want your total cholesterol—the LDL number plus the HDL number plus other lipid components —to be less than 200. 200 to 239 is considered moderately high; 240 and above is high.

Some things that increase your risk for high cholesterol are things you can change, but some are not:

• Eating foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
• Being overweight
• Regular inactivity
• Smoking

Symptoms

High cholesterol does not cause many symptoms.

Some people with rare lipid disorders may have symptoms such as bumps in the skin, hands, or feet, which are caused by deposits of extra cholesterol and other types of fat.

Prevention

A heart-healthy lifestyle can help prevent high cholesterol:

• Eating a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
• Getting plenty of exercise
• Managing your weight
• Not smoking

Diagnosis

High cholesterol is usually found during a blood test that measures cholesterol levels.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

• What may caused my cholesterol to be too high?
• Does high cholesterol run in my family?
• Are there things I can do to reduce my cholesterol?
• Do I need to be on cholesterol lowering medication?
• If I am on medication, how long do I have to take it?
• Are there side effects of treatment?
• What are natural things I can do to lower cholesterol? Diet? Exercise?
• How often do I need to get my cholesterol level checked?
• Am I at risk for other diseases because I have high cholesterol?

Treatments

If your healthcare provider tells you that your cholesterol is too high, you have several options:

• Make lifestyle changes. This means eating less saturated fat and high cholesterol foods (meat, eggs, and dairy products), and eating more foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil, and avocados), which help decrease LDL cholesterol. It also means getting more exercise.
• Take medication. Your healthcare provider can prescribe one of several drugs that have been proven to lower cholesterol.

Resources

American Heart Association
Men’s Health Network

About

Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers, for example, 110/80 (pronounced “one-ten over eighty”).

• The top number (called systolic) is the pressure of the blood flowing through your arteries when your heart beats.
• The bottom number (called diastolic) is the pressure of the blood in the arteries between beats, when the heart is resting.

Your healthcare provider or healthcare provider will tell you whether your blood pressure is too high. But you should also know what readings are normal and what aren’t. Unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise, use the chart below.

Categories for Blood Pressure Levels in Adults (measured in mmHg)

If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, the target blood pressure after taking medication is 130/80 mmHg or below.

RISK FACTORS

The risk factors for high blood pressure are:

• You were previously diagnosed with high blood pressure
• An immediate family member was diagnosed with hypertension or some other kind of heart condition before age 55
• You are African-American
• You get little or no exercise
• You are obese
• You eat a diet high in salt
• You have high cholesterol
• You smoke. If you do, you are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease than a nonsmoker.
• You’re under a lot of stress
• You have more than 2 alcoholic drinks every day
• You drink a lot of coffee (not decaf)
• You have diabetes. More than 80% of people with diabetes die of some kind of cardiovascular disease
• You’re taking medication that affects blood pressure. These include Ritalin (for ADD), steroids, migraine medications, any over-the-counter drugs that contain pseudoephedrine, and any medication that contains stimulants such as caffeine
• You’re 45 years or older

Challenges in Sexual Health

Although sexual activity is unlikely to pose an immediate threat to your health — such as a heart attack — high blood pressure can affect your overall sexual satisfaction.

Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of blood vessels and causes arteries to harden and narrow (atherosclerosis), limiting blood flow. This means less blood is able to flow to the penis. For some men, the decreased blood flow makes it difficult to achieve and maintain erections — often referred to as erectile dysfunction which is a fairly common problem shared by many men.

Even a single episode of erectile dysfunction can cause anxiety. Fears that it will happen again might lead men to avoid sex — and affect the relationship with their sexual partner. High blood pressure can also interfere with ejaculation and reduce sexual desire.

High blood pressure medications that can cause sexual dysfunction as a side effect include:

• Water pills (diuretics). Diuretics can decrease forceful blood flow to the penis, making it difficult to achieve an erection. They can also deplete the body of zinc, which is necessary to make the sex hormone testosterone.
• Beta blockers. These medications can affect the nervous system reaction that causes an erection. Beta blockers can also make it difficult for the arteries in the penis to widen (dilate) to let in enough blood flow to cause an erection.

To reduce the risk of side effects from these medications, including sexual problems, take medications exactly as prescribed. If you still have side effects, consult with your healthcare provider about other possible medications that may have fewer side effects.

FYI

The CDC estimates that about 1 in 3 U.S. adults—or 67 million people—have high blood pressure. Only about half (47%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.

They also say that women are about as likely as men to develop high blood pressure during their lifetimes. However, for people under 45 years old, the condition affects more men than women. For people 65 years and older, it affects more women than men.

Prevention

Risk factors such as age and ethnicity cannot be changed. However, by making the following lifestyle changes, you may be able to prevent high blood pressure.

• Watch your weight. If you’re overweight, talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to lose those extra pounds. As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure—and losing weight will have an immediate, positive effect. In addition, if you carry your weight around your middle/abdomen, you have a higher risk of having high blood pressure than if you carry it around the hips and thighs.
• Get plenty of exercise. Thirty minutes every day is ideal and cuts your risk of developing high blood pressure by 25-50%. And remember, it doesn’t have to be all at the same time. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, dancing, playing sports, or even doing yard work all count. A minute here, a minute there, and you’re up to 30 before you know it.
• Cut back on salt and sodium. Read the labels on the products you buy and look for ones that are “sodium free” or “reduced sodium.” And start adding less salt to foods you prepare.
• Eat right. Get more nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. For protein, go for lean meats, fish, and beans. Cut back on sugar, and stay away from foods that have saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
• Quit smoking. If you don’t smoke but you live in a home where someone else does, encourage him or her to quit.
• Watch what you drink. You should have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day (if you’re not a drinker, don’t start unless your healthcare provider advises you to) and don’t drink more than 2 caffeinated beverages per day.
• Have regular physical exams. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all symptoms—even ones that might not seem like they have anything to do with your heart at all. For example, erectile problems and depression can be associated with cardiovascular disease.
• Get your blood pressure checked regularly. Keep track of how/whether it changes over time. To make sure your blood pressure remains within a safe range, you may need frequent blood pressure readings. Sometimes this can be done with a home blood pressure monitoring device or at your local drug/health store.
• Relax. Research has shown that petting animals, and even looking at fish in an aquarium lowers blood pressure. Meditation is also successful in reducing blood pressure. Reading is relaxing, so make a trip to the library for some immediate stress relief.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing high blood pressure is easy—get it checked regularly. However, because men are less likely than women to visit their health care providers, they’re also less likely to know their blood pressure levels.

In some patients, high blood pressure is related to other medical problems or can be a side effect of certain drugs. This form of the disease is called secondary hypertension, because it happens secondary to other medical conditions.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

1. What do my blood pressure numbers mean?
2. What should my blood pressure be?
3. How can I control high blood pressure?
4. How often should my blood pressure be checked? Can I do this at home?
5. What kind of medicine do you recommend? What are the side effects and benefits?
6. How do I know if it’s working?
7. What do I do if I forget to take my medicine?
8. What dietary and lifestyle changes can I take to control my blood pressure?

Treatments

If diagnosed with high blood pressure, there is a wide range of blood-pressure-lowering medicines to choose from. These include:

• ACE inhibitors: these medicines help to control hormones that affect blood pressure. Most of these medicines have names that end in “pril”

• Angiotensin receptor blockers (or ARBs): these also control hormones that affect blood pressure. Most of these medicines have names that end in “artan”

• Calcium channel blockers: these medicines make the artery walls relax, making them wider, which lower blood pressure. Most of these medicines have names that in “pine”

• Thiazide diuretics: these medicines remove unwanted fluid from the body, which helps lower blood pressure. Most of these medicines have names that end in “ide”.

You may need to take more than one type of medication because a combination of drugs is sometimes needed to treat high blood pressure. In some cases, you may need to take blood pressure-lowering medication for the rest of your life. However, if your blood pressure levels stay under control for several years, you might be able to stop your treatment.

Resources

Find Out More About High Blood Pressure at the Following Websites:  

American Heart Association
American Kidney Fund
CDC
Measure Up Pressure Down
Men’s Health Network
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
National Stroke Association

About

TYPES OF STROKES

Ischemic stroke
Accounts for about 87% all strokes and occurs when a blood clot, or thrombus, forms that blocks blood flow to part of the brain. If a blood clot forms somewhere in the body and breaks off to become free-floating, it is called an embolus. This wandering clot may be carried through the bloodstream to the brain where it can cause ischemic stroke.

Hemorrhagic stroke
Occurs when a blood vessel on the brain’s surface ruptures and fills the space between the brain and skull with blood (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or when a defective artery in the brain bursts and fills the surrounding tissue with blood (cerebral hemorrhage).

Both types of stroke result in a lack of blood flow to the brain and a buildup of blood that puts too much pressure on the brain.

 RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE

• Age (People over age 65)
• Gender (Men have more strokes, women have deadlier strokes)
• Race (African-Americans are at increased risk)
• Family history of stroke
• High blood pressure
  
• Atrial fibrillation
  
• Uncontrolled diabetes
  
• High cholesterol
  
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol intake
• Being overweight
  
• Existing coronary artery disease
  

STROKE AND SEXUAL HEALTH
A stroke causes many changes in a person’s life. Physical changes to your body occur after a stroke which can impact your sex life, but many couples are able to maintain a healthy sex life. This is important to get back into a normal routine. The need to love and be loved is significant, as is the physical and mental release that sex provides. Couples may experience problems with sexual intercourse after a stroke, as stroke survivors often report a decrease in sexual desire. Men can sometimes present with various levels of impotency. During this time, open communication with your partner, managing depression, controlling pain or incontinence can help you resume a healthy sex life and keep be a positive mental health outlook.

FYI

Although men have a higher risk for stroke,  more women die from it.
 Men generally do not live as long as women, so men are usually younger when they have their strokes and therefore have a higher rate of survival.

Symptoms

Strokes generally don’t give you much advance notice. Symptoms come on suddenly and unexpectedly and they can include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
• Women may report unique stroke symptoms.

Prevention

The best way to prevent a stroke is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and controlling your blood pressure. Here are some tips to help you get started.

• Watch your weight. If you’re overweight, talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to lose those extra pounds. As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure—and losing weight will have an immediate, positive effect. In addition, if you carry your weight around your middle/abdomen, you have a higher risk of having high blood pressure than if you carry it around the hips and thighs.
• Get plenty of exercise. Thirty minutes every day is ideal and cuts your risk of developing high blood pressure by 25-50%. And remember, it doesn’t have to be all at the same time. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, dancing, playing sports, or even doing yard work all count. A minute here, a minute there, and you’re up to 30 before you know it.
• Cut back on salt and sodium. Read the labels on the products you buy and look for ones that are “sodium free” or “reduced sodium.” And start adding less salt to foods you prepare.
• Eat right. Get more nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. For protein, go for lean meats, fish, and beans. Cut back on sugar, and stay away from foods that have saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
• Quit smoking. If you don’t smoke but you live in a home where someone else does, encourage him or her to quit.
• Watch what you drink. You should have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day (if you’re not a drinker, don’t start unless your healthcare provider advises you to) and don’t drink more than 2 caffeinated beverages per day.
• Have regular physical exams. Make sure to tell your healthcare provider about all symptoms—even ones that might not seem like they have anything to do with your heart at all. For example, erectile problems and depression can be associated with cardiovascular disease.
• Get your blood pressure checked regularly. Keep track of how/whether it changes over time. To make sure your blood pressure remains within a safe range, you may need frequent blood pressure readings. Sometimes this can be done with a home blood pressure monitoring device or at your local drug/health store.
• Relax. Research has shown that petting animals, and even looking at fish in an aquarium lowers blood pressure. Meditation is also successful in reducing blood pressure. Reading is relaxing, so you can also go to your local library and pick up books to read.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing stroke can be done via physical examinations, ultrasounds of the carotid arteries in neck, CT & MRI scans, and EKG among other tests.

Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider

• How soon can I expect to recover after my stroke?
• What foods should I be avoiding or eating more of?
• Are there any other lifestyle changes I should make? What about physical exercise?
• Will taking aspirin or a prescription medication to help prevent another stroke?
• Do I have any other conditions that make having another stroke more likely? What can I do to reduce my risk?

Treatments

If you think you or someone you know may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do this simple test:

• F—FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• A—ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S—SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is his or her speech slurred or strange?
• T—TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Remember the damage caused by a stroke is permanent and gets worse with each second. If someone is having a stroke, it is important to get medical treatment ASAP as medication can help to reduce stroke damage.

The outcome after a stroke depends on where the stroke occurs and how much of the brain is affected. Smaller strokes may result in minor problems, such as weakness in an arm or leg. Major strokes may lead to paralysis or death. Many stroke patients are left with weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, incontinence, and bladder problems.

Resources

For More Information on Strokes Visit:

National Stroke Association
Medline Plus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NIH
Men’s Health Network