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WELLNESS
Habib
Bassil, MD
Said
Iskandar, MD
Gareth
Titus, MD
Janardhan
Srinivasan, MD
life and health
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Q.
How do I find out if I am at
risk for heart disease?
A.
Dr. Iskandar:
The first step
toward a healthy heart is to become
aware of your risks for heart disease.
Tell your doctor you would like help
in achieving a healthy heart, and when
he asks questions, answer honestly and
completely. Remember to ask for an
explanation if you don’t understand
something your doctor says.
Q.
What are the risk factors of
heart disease?
A.
Dr. Bassil:
The more risk factors
a person has, the higher the risk of
having a heart attack or stroke. Non-
adjustable factors include:
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a family history of heart attack or
stroke
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being male
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being over age 45 for men and
over 55 for women.
Adjustable factors include:
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high cholesterol level
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high blood pressure (hypertension)
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high blood sugar (diabetes)
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cigarette or cigar smoking
HRHS can help keep
your ticker ticking
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an unhealthy diet
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lack of exercise
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overweight, mainly around the waist.
Q.
What dietary changes can
be made to reduce heart disease
risks?
A.
Dr. Bassil:
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Cut down on calories and portion
sizes. This is more important if you
are overweight or have high blood
pressure or diabetes.
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Limit food high in cholesterol: egg
yolks, dairy products, beef and pork.
Eat chicken, turkey, venison or fish
instead.
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Limit trans fats: snack food, fast
food, fried food and baked goods.
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Limit soda, sport drinks, fruit
juices and alcohol. Drink water or
low-fat or nonfat milk instead.
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Eat more vegetables, fruits, grains
and fiber-rich foods.
A.
Dr. Titus:
Toss the salt shaker!
Q.
What is the link between
smoking and heart disease?
A.
Dr. Titus:
Smoking speeds up
the formation of
cholesterol plaques in
the arteries, leading to stroke and
heart attack.
A.
Dr. Iskandar:
If you smoke, quit.
One year after you stop smoking, your
heart disease risk will drop more than
half. Within several years, it will ap-
proach the risk of a nonsmoker.
Q.
What is your blood pressure
supposed to be?
A.
Dr. Srinivasan:
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Normal blood pressure is
120/80 or lower.
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Borderline blood pressure is
121-139/81-89.
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High blood pressure is 140/90 and
over, needs to be treated.
A.
Dr. Iskandar:
High blood pres-
sure is the largest risk factor for
strokes. Even slightly high blood
pressure levels increase your risk.
High blood pressure usually doesn’t
cause any symptoms.
Q.
What about sugar and diabetes?
A.
Dr. Iskandar:
More than
65 percent of people who have diabe-
tes die of some type of cardiovascular
disease. Some people are prediabetic
and are at a high risk for developing
the disease. People who are predia-
betic have a 50 percent greater chance
of having a heart attack or stroke.
Be sure to read part two of this
Q&A session in our next issue to
learn more about how to keep your
ticker ticking.
FEBRUARY
may have been American Heart Month, but a
healthy heart should be every month’s goal. Halifax Regional Health
System’s (HRHS) four cardiologists provide the compassionate one-
on-one care that can help patients reach their healthy heart goals.
In the first of a two-part series, our cardiologists—Habib Bassil,
MD, Said Iskandar, MD, Gareth Titus, MD and Janardhan Sriniva-
san, MD—answer some common questions about heart health.