Heart disease is the #1 killer of men AND women. How can it be prevented and can it be reversed?
In this video, Dr. Prerana Manohar of the Heart and Wellness Institute and other panelists discuss the answers to these questions.
Â
About 85-90% of heart disease is preventable. Many things a person does in the course of a day affects the heart- what is eaten, habits formed (from exercise to smoking), quality of sleep, the environment, and stress. These heart health factors can be controlled and making changes in the necessary areas can certainly prevent and even reverse heart disease and the underlying symptoms.
Experts agree diet plays a very important role in heart, health. “Diet†in this case, simply means what is eaten, not restricting calories. Issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes all increase a person’s risk of heart disease. Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and other food related health issues will be controlled if healthy diet choices are made and the risk of heart disease as a result will be diminished.
Exercise is also very important in having a healthy heart. Dr. Manohar recommends a half hour of exercise every day, even if it is just a brisk walk. And if that’s not feasible, at least a half hour four to five times a week is recommended. For every half hour of exercise done, the risk of heart disease is lowered by 10%.
The quality of sleep a person gets is also an important factor in preventing heart disease. Repeated low oxygen levels, as seen with sleep apnea, have a significant effect on the heart and can even lead to congestive heart failure.
Not only do smoking and second hand smoke have a detrimental effect on the heart, but recent studies have shown a correlation between smog and pollution and the occurrence of coronary artery disease. This is why it is important to NOT smoke, to try and stay away from second hand smoke, and to protect the environment.
Dr. Manohar suggests preventing heart disease and reducing risk by meeting with one’s primary care physician to assess risk and make a plan of action. This should include eating right, exercising regularly, getting good quality sleep, and getting rid of bad habits. Then, the risk factors, plan of action, and actions taken should be reassessed regularly. This action plan and regular assessment will contribute to a healthier heart.
With some lifestyle changes and continuous healthy choices, heart disease risk CAN be reduced and even reversed.
Leading Grand Rapids Cardiologist Dr. Manohar of the Heart and Wellness Institute Tells What Symptoms of Heart Disease are and How You Can Prevent Heart Disease.
To begin, every person should know the classic signs of a heart attack. These symptoms include:
Chest pressure ( pressure located in the mid sternum or left side)
Heavy pain that radiates on the left side of a person’s arm, neck, or shoulder
Shortness of Breath
Breaking out in a sweat
Attention should also be paid to the less typical symptoms such as:
Nausea
Light headedness
Indigestion
Dizziness
Sweats
Passing out
If you have symptoms that are unexplained, you should be evaluated for coronary disease. Coronary disease is the most common disease in the U. S.
Â
Â
Evidence has proven that free radicals can cause damage to a person’s arteries and vascular system.  Dr. Manohar explains that a nutritious, balanced diet has all the benefits of receiving the antioxidants needed for fighting free radicals.Â
Stress and anxiety are also large risk factors. Anxiety should be addressed through your primary care provider.  According to Dr. Manohar, it is vital that we manage our stress. We can accomplish this in a number of ways; through social interaction, meditation, or simply by going for a walk, to name a few.
Aspirin has proven to help reduce a person’s chance of myocardial infarction (heart attack).  Aspirin is beneficial because it prevents blood clots and doesn’t allow the platelets to stick together as well. It is important to check with your primary care provider if you are over the age of 80 as elderly are at risk for bleeding while taking aspirin.
A stent can be an alternative treatment if a person experiences narrowing of an artery. A stent is a small coil that is placed in the artery to keep it propped open, thus improving blood flow.  A stent is a temporary fix, however, and risk modification is more important. Receiving a stent will not benefit a person if s/he continues to make poor lifestyle choices such as smoking or eating poorly.
Dr. Manohar of the Heart and Wellness Institute in Grand Rapids Discusses Who is at Risk for Heart Disease and How it Can be Prevented.
Today’s discussion on Family Health Matters is heart disease.  Dr. Prerana Manohar opens the discussion by stating that heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the nation. This is above all the 13 causes of cancer combined.  Statistics dating from 2005 reveal that 450,000 women died of heart disease while only 250 women died of cancer. This is of particular concern to cardioascular experts.  Lifestyle choices and the fact that we are living longer have, together, increased the prevalence of heart disease.
Â
What many people do not realize is that heart disease is controllable. The leading killers are Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, as well as stroke.  A stroke is an indication of Atherosclerosis and the third leading killer in the nation. Although heart disease is preventable, this nation has not come to that realization.  When we do, the occurrence of heart disease will begin to diminish and eventually, will be non-existent. Â
The leading risk factors of heart disease include:
Smoking
High blood pressure
Physical inactivity
Poor body composition
Diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Genetic makeup
Dr. Manohar adds that stress, anxiety, and depression can double a person’s risk of heart attack. Studies done in women have shown that stress can increase the risk of heart disease as much as 1½ to 2 times. Dr. Manohar concluded that if we minimize stress, then those risk factors will decrease as well.
Cholesterol can also affect the health of your heart. Most people are aware of LDL (lower density lipid) counts; numbers of 150 or lower are typically acceptable. Higher numbers indicate the possibility of plaque development in the arteries, which can lead to heart disease and strokes.Â
Screening for heart disease begins with looking at the common risk factors. Tests can also be run for those who have no obvious symptoms but want to know if they have any heart problems. Although screening for heart disease is still in the infancy stages and there is no one test,  tests such as ultrasounds of carotid arteries or cat scans of the chest are useful in detecting heart disease.  If you are concerned about your risk of heart disease, you can evaluate your risk by:
Receiving screening from your primary care physician
Having measurements such as body mass and blood pressure checked
Getting blood work done
When getting your cholesterol checked, you can ask your doctor to give you a high sensitivity C-reactive protein. This bio marker is not associated with risk of heart attack or stroke. There are also diagnostic studies that can determine if a person is predisposed to coronary disease.  Soon there will be genetic bio markers as well.
Type I diabetes is a high risk factor for the development of heart disease.  The first issue of concern is glucose levels; it is important for a person with diabetes to maintain a well controlled glucose level.  The second area of concern is the inability to exercise; this is not an uncommon problem among diabetics.  Swimming can be an alternative method of cardiovascular exercise for those who have difficulty walking. Emphasis should be placed on controlling blood sugar levels and maintaining a low carbohydrate diet. Canned fruit should be avoided when possible due to the large amount of sugar in this product.
The Heart and Wellness Institute’s Dr. Manohar Talks About Preventing a Stroke (1 of 2)
Today on Family Health Matters, the topic of discussion is strokes. The guest speaker is Dr. Prerana Manohar with The Heart and Wellness Institute.
According to Dr. Manohar, strokes and heart disease are connected and the risk factors for both are interrelated. It is vital to be aware of the symptoms because timing can mean all the difference. The symptoms of a stroke include:
inability to speak
loss of balance
falling down
and losing control of your legs
The most common symptom is numbness or tingling in one’s arms or legs.  These symptoms need to be addressed within hours (3 or less) as opposed to days.  Dr. Manohar quickly adds that as soon as a person notices any symptoms s/he should go directly to the emergency room. The sooner treatment is administered, the less chance there is of immediate damage. Also, treatment received within the first hour of any observation of these symptoms reduces the chance of long-term damage.
Dr. Manohar explains what happens to the brain during a stroke. The blood supply shuts down in a section of the brain due to a blood clot or a piece of cholesterol plaque that has broken off and clogged an artery of that part of the brain. When this occurs, that area of the brain is not receiving enough blood flow and begins to die.
As far as which age group is at risk for suffering a stroke- there is no specific age group that is affected more than another. Anyone can suffer from a stroke, whether they are in their twenties or in their sixties.  In fact, 4 in 100 people are susceptible to suffering a stroke. High risk factors include:
Smoking
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Abnormal cholesterol
Obesity
Abnormal weight change
History of stroke or heart disease
Peripheral vascular disease
There are some risk factors that we clearly can control. These factors include, but are not limited to, losing weight and quitting smoking.  One high risk factor that needs to be mentioned is stress. Stress is a crucial component we often feel that we can not control, but it does need to be controlled. Dr. Manohar emphasizes the importance of not allowing stress to manage us and explains that the ideal situation would be for us to manage our stress.
