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.
Leading Grand Rapids Cardiologist, Dr. Prerana Manohar, of the Heart and Wellness Institute Talks About Heart Disease Risk, Treatment, and Prevention.
Part Two discussion of heart disease on Family Health Matters covers heart disease risk factors.  Some factors are controllable, while others, such as genetics are not.
Genetics play a large role in whether or not a person is at risk for heart disease. If you are a woman with high cholesterol, this can be an issue as well. There is special testing available that can assess risk. Dr. Manohar suggests that a person see their physician to receive a high sensitivity C-reactor protein. An ultrasound of the arteries can also predict whether a person is at risk. A treadmill test can provide a great overall prognosis. And lastly, a coronary CT can obtain information regarding the presence of plaque in the coronary arteries as well as any type of blockage.
Experts agree obesity correlates with heart disease; the question is whether obesity itself affects heart disease, or whether the risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension cause obesity, which in turn cause heart disease. Dr. Manohar adds that trunkel obesity can be associated with infiltration in layers below the skin and organs as well. This can be correlated with immune diseases such as diabetes, poor metabolism, and abnormal cholesterol.
For people suffering from elevated triglycerides, vitamins are available that can help lower triglyceride levels. Dr. Delapp recommends niacin to help keep triglyceride levels low.
Women in post menopause can also be at high risk for heart disease. During this time, metabolism and hormone levels change significantly. Screening is very important due to increased blood pressure and possible cholesterol changes.
Finally, Dr. Manohar states that homocysteine, a common amino acid, is controversial in its effect on heart disease. There have been numerous studies showing that elevated homocysteine is closely tied to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and that this can be counteracted with folic acid. Experts disagree, however, on these findings.
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.
Heart Disease is the cause of one fourth of all deaths, as well as a major cause of disability for both men and women. Although there are some contributing factors such as age and family history that you can not change, many choices you make can help prevent heart disease.
Cardiologist Dr. Prerana Manohar and the caring staff at the Heart and Wellness Institute can be a support in your efforts to reduce your risks and a valuable source of information. If you want to take a more active role in a healthier tomorrow, talk to your heart doctor about making some of these healthy changes today and ask about the HeartStar® prevention program:
Choose a healthy diet. Your heart doctor can recommend a diet low in salt and fat that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Maintain a healthy body weight. This is one of the key factors in preventing heart disease.
Exercising regularly. Helps not only with weight maintenance, but also helps in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
Quit Smoking. Smoking greatly increases your risk at developing heart disease.
Reduce alcohol consumption.
Treat and maintain other medical conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Heart and Wellness Institute, Grand Rapids is dedicated to helping you live a happy healthy life. We are recognized within the state as a premier facility offering cardiology care for both men and women. If you have any questions about heart health or need a cardiologist, please contact us today!
Introduction of the Institute and its Leading Cardiologist
Hello, my name is Dr. Prerana Manohar, leading cardiologist and medical director of Heart and Wellness Institute, Grand Rapids. I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and the Heart and Wellness Institute. While we hope to use this blog to provide valuable information regarding heart health, we also hope it will be a valuable communication tool.
As a board certified cardiologist in Grand Rapids, I care about the heart health of my community.  At the Heart and Wellness Institute, we believe that education and prevention are key to reducing the incidence of heart disease and work diligently to get the word out. I have had the privilege of being the Medical Chair for the American Heart Association Go Red For Women event in Grand Rapids, as well as being a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association at various other events. It has been my privilege to direct many conferences on the subject of women and heart disease which have been attended by medical personnel from multiple states.
The Heart and Wellness Institute is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular illnesses in both men and women, with an emphasis on prevention. From our state-of-the-art facilities to our personal care, we want each patient to know their care is created specifically for each one of them. Whether you are looking for the specialized care of a heart doctor or for someone to assist in a plan for prevention, we want to be the Grand Rapids cardiologist you think of first when looking for care.
