February 14th is Valentine’s Day and the day most associated with love, romance, and of course hearts. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed proclamation 3566 establishing February as American Heart Month to bring awareness and develop initiatives to address heart and cardiovascular disease and improve outcomes through prevention, detection, and early treatment (https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2017/02/21/12/42/the-evolution-of-american-heart-month). According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 121 million adults, or nearly half of the US population, have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure or hypertension. Approximately 80% of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, may be preventable.
Research shows that people with disabilities are at equal or higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as people without disabilities. For example, people with spinal cord injury may be more likely to have multiple chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at similar risk for cardiovascular disease and their peers without these disabilities, but may experience barriers to managing their health and getting complete care.
The following are tips to love your heart and help lower your risk for heart/cardiovascular disease:
Health /Managing Chronic Medical Conditions
Knowing your family’s health history and getting regular health screenings is the first line of defense as uncontrolled high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol may lead to damage of the heart and blood vessels. Keeping up with health screenings and blood work allows for early detection. Early detection of high-risk factors for heart/cardiovascular disease as well as early treatment through lifestyle changes and/or through medications may reduce and/or mitigate risk of death due to heart/cardiovascular disease. Check out our previous blog post on the importance of health screenings for people with disabilities.
Healthy Weight, Regular Movement, and Heart-Healthy Diet
Maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular daily physical activity, and eating a heart-healthy diet all play a role in lowering the risk of heart/cardiovascular disease. Exercise and regular activity helps control weight and reduces the chances of developing other conditions that put strain on the heart (i.e., high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and 2 diabetes. Eating a heart-healthy diet may protect the heart, improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The NIDILRR-funded RRTC on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities offers a suite of tools designed to promote physical health and wellness among adults in mental health recovery including enhancing immune health, nutrition and exercise, wellness activities, an online diabetes education toolkit, and more.
Healthy Lifestyle
Getting enough quality sleep, managing stress, and avoiding tobacco are all ways to reduce and/or mitigate the risk of heart/cardiovascular disease. Not getting enough quality sleep may increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, and depression; especially for those with obstructive sleep apnea. Adopt healthy ways to cope with stress and avoid coping with stress in unhealthy ways such as overeating, drinking alcohol, and/or smoking. Lastly, do not smoke or use tobacco products. These products may damage the heart and blood vessels, reduce oxygen in the blood, and increase blood pressure and heart rate due to the heart working harder.
Check out our previous blog post, Hearts in Play – Heart Attacks and Cardiac Rehabilitation to learn about of cardiac rehabilitation and finding a finding a cardiac rehabilitation program.
References
American Heart Association
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/prevent-heart-disease-infographic.
https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/advocate/federal-priorities/cdc-prevention-programs.
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/01/31/cardiovascular-diseases-affect-nearly-half-of-american-adults-statistics-show.
American Red Cross (2021). American Heart Health Month: Be Prepared to Save a Life. https://tinyurl.com/5n6h8hcd.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Disability, Health, and Healthy Living https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/healthyliving.html.
Harold, J.G. (2017). The Evolution of American Heart Month, Cardiology Magazine (online), https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2017/02/21/12/42/the-evolution-of-american-heart-month.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Know the Differences: Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Disease, Coronary Heart Disease
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/media/docs/Fact_Sheet_Know_Diff_Design.508_pdf.pdf.
