On Thursday we discussed what heart disease is and factors that can increase an individual’s chances of developing it. It is important to understand that once an incident such as a heart attack has occurred any damage to your heart is permanent. While you cannot fix the damages of heart disease it does not mean hope is lost. The extreme nature of this disease makes prevention even more important.
As previously mentioned, heart disease accounts for approximately 25 percent of all deaths in the United States and 30 percent of all deaths in Montgomery County in 2016. Since heart disease is such a serious threat here in Montgomery County and the United States you cannot be complacent when combating it. Of all of the avoidable measures discussed, smoking is by far the most avoidable. The surgeon general has called smoking, “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” The nicotine in cigarettes tightens blood vessels, this tightening will not allow enough oxygen to be transported throughout your body. In addition to this, but the large quantities of chemicals in cigarettes greatly increases your chances of blood clots. This decreased amount of oxygen and increased rate of clotting will raise your chances of a serious heart condition.
Based off of the community health needs assessment completed in 2015 for Montgomery County, approximately
23 percent of adults reported smoking cigarettes. However, this percentage was based off of surveys collected through school districts and employer list servers. Due to this, it is believed that the true percentage of adults who smoke is much higher than 23 percent. Regardless, because smoking is such a threat to your heart, if Montgomery County were to reduce its number of adult smokers this could have exponential health benefit for your local community.
Along with stopping smoking here is a list of other ways in which you can better reduce your chances of developing heart disease:
• Decrease consumption of sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats
• Increase consumption of: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and other mono and polyunsaturated fats (avocados, nuts, olive oil)
• Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day
• Know your family history
• Reduce your stress levels
As stated previously, heart disease is currently the largest health threat towards the American people. However, unlike many other medical conditions heart disease is easily preventable. Simply being aware of the issue at hand is a good start, but only by us taking action can we fully combat this issue. By fully comprehending information about heart disease, paired with a proactive approach towards everyday life you can greatly decrease the probability of developing a heart related disorder. To take it a step further, by educating your friends and family on the simple ways in which they can prevent heart disease one can truly assist in the fight against heart disease. Remember, #WellnessBeginsWithME!
Ben Geier, Wabash College ’18, is an intern with the Montgomery County Health Department.
