TriStar Portland
September 07, 2016

Every year, nearly three-quarters of a million Americans have heart attacks. Age and family history of heart disease are two risk factors you can’t control, but others — like smoking, obesity and inactivity, and more — can be fixed. There is not an exact, proven number, but it is estimated that half of all heart attacks are preventable as long as risk factors are identified and controlled or managed.

Despite the fact that so many heart attacks can be prevented with lifestyle changes, a March 2016 study from Cleveland Clinic found that the average person suffering from a heart attack was younger, more obese and had more risk factors in 2014 than in 1995, the period in which the study took place.

A changing patient profile

The study found that the average age for the most serious kind of heart attack – known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI – at Cleveland Clinic dropped from 64 at the beginning of the study period to 60 by the end. The percentage of people with diabetes jumped from 24 to 31 percent. In 2014, more than three-quarters of those studied had high blood pressure, as opposed to only 55 percent in 1995. And, though smoking rates among adults in the U.S. have steadily trended downward since the 1960s, the hospital saw an eight percent increase in smoking rates among heart attack patients.

Preventable risks

The increase in risk factors among people having heart attacks may be due, in part, to poor lifestyle choices: smoking, eating too much, eating the wrong kinds of foods and not exercising. It’s absolutely lifestyle-mediated – consumption of food from chain restaurants has increased dramatically, and portion sizes are up exponentially. People are sedentary, not exercising.

In addition to reducing the risk of heart attack, the American College of Cardiology recommends diet and exercise for the management of obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol.

Be proactive

It’s good news that the risk factors for heart attack are partially preventable. The first step in heart attack prevention is identifying potential risk factors. If you have risk factors, get them evaluated and treated. Don’t wait until something happens. Be proactive and have important discussions with your doctor about your heart health.

Lifestyle management

Cut portions and get more exercise. Many eat close to 4,000 calories a day, well above even the highest of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) daily estimates; most people need between 1,600 and 3,000 calories per day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise. That may not be realistic for many people, but it’s critical to get active in your own way, and to do something intensive.

Experts recommend 50 percent aerobic and 50 percent resistance training a few times a week. If that’s only 40 minutes total, that’s fine, but make it a routine and make it intensive.

For more information on heart health or for a free physician referral, please call TriStar MedLine® at (615) 342-1919.