This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Erika Blank about reducing your risk of heart disease. Dr. Blank is an Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine and a primary care physician, specializing in lifestyle medicine at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. It's estimated that 120 million Americans have a cardiovascular condition, which includes heart failure, coronary artery disease and other heart conditions. Doctor Erika Blank is here to talk about what you can do to lower your risk of heart disease. Doctor Blank is an Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine, and she's a primary care physician specializing in lifestyle medicine at MUSC. Doctor Blank, we know that heart disease is the number one killer for men and women in the U.S. , what can individuals do to decrease their risk of heart disease?
Dr. Blank: The first thing is to be aware of your personal cardiovascular risks. There's some risks that we can't do anything about: age and sex and family history. And then there are other things that we can modify, such as blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and smoking.
Conner: What do we need to know specifically about our blood pressure as it relates to heart disease?
Dr. Blank: The first thing is to really know what your blood pressure is. A normal blood pressure is below 120 over 80, and anything above 130 over 80 is actually elevated. If you're taking medication for your blood pressure, I would take that consistently at the same time every day. And I would also monitor your blood pressure at home. I feel like that's a better assessment of your true blood pressure than what we get in the office.
Conner: And what do individuals need to know about their cholesterol?
Dr. Blank: I look at all of the cholesterol particles and concentration- the LDL, triglycerides and HDL. And there is a new test that I like to use called the apolipoprotein B. So, getting that number really lets us know how many bad actors are out there in your bloodstream ready to cause plaques.
Conner: And that's a special blood test that you sometimes use for patients at high risk of heart disease.
Dr. Blank: Yeah. So, I would use that for patients who are at high risk, especially patients with diabetes, insulin resistance or obesity.
Conner: What additional heart health strategies can you suggest for people who do have diabetes?
Dr. Blank: People with diabetes are at very high risk for cardiovascular disease. Of course, controlling the diabetes is number one. And then controlling blood pressure and cholesterol are important.
Conner: Tell us about healthy lifestyle strategies that will be heart healthy.
Dr. Blank: I would start with the diet. I would focus on decreasing the saturated fat in the diet. Also aiming to eat a diet that's high in fiber and includes a lot of different colored fruits and vegetables. Exercise is important. You definitely want to be getting enough aerobic exercise; that would be anywhere from 150 to 300 minutes per week. And then, of course, healthy sleep is important. If there's any sign that you may have sleep apnea, I would investigate that and treat it as that puts a strain on the heart and is a cause for heart disease, arrhythmias, and even sudden death. And then of course, limiting alcohol. Smoking is obviously a huge risk for heart disease. If you do smoke, smoking cessation is really important for your heart health. So, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about ways that they can help you quit.
Conner: Doctor Blank, thanks for this information about heart health.
Dr. Blank: You're welcome. It's my pleasure.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
