Men's Health: Watch for Heart Disease

Men's Health

There are over 150 million men in the United States, and 12% of these men are labeled as having fair or poor health. Maintaining a healthy balance includes paying attention to your physical, mental, and emotional health. This newsletter equips you with information on men and heart disease, nutrition and exercise, and cancer--some of the leading health concerns for men. Take time to evaluate your own health status to ensure you're making the right choices for your lifestyle!

Men and Heart Disease

The heart is a vital organ, it pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the body in order to sustain life. In order to do so, the human heart beats 100,000 times a day and pumps around 2,000 gallons of blood throughout the body each day. The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body and therefore our heart health is crucial.

Heart disease is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions that can affect your heart, including arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, heart attack, and congenital heart defects, among others. The leading cause of death for men in the United States is heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 1 in every 4 male deaths is due to heart disease and between 70-89% of cardiac events occur in men.

Unfortunately, there are not always warning signs of heart disease and the first sign is often a heart attack or stroke. However, there are a few early signs that can help you recognize heart problems. These include: difficulty breathing after moderate physical activity, discomfort in your chest lasting anywhere from half an hour to a few hours, unexplained pain in your upper torso, neck, or jaw, and changes in your extremities. These can be signs of the narrowing of blood vessels, making it difficult for your heart to pump oxygenated blood throughout your body. 

Risk factors for developing heart disease include: age, family history, smoking, a poor diet, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and a lack of physical activity. It is important to inform your doctors if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or a family history of heart disease, as these can put you at a higher risk of developing problems with your heart.

There are risk factors that you can control to make yourself less likely to be affected by heart disease. Choosing to stop smoking can have benefits for your health. The nicotine that enters your body when you smoke constricts your blood vessels and the carbon monoxide damages the inner lining of these vessels. A poor diet, including food that is high in salt, fat, sugar, and cholesterol, can increase the risk of formation of plaques clogging your arteries and can lead to numerous heart diseases. The next section discuses ways you can improve your exercise and eating habits, which can have lasting impacts on your heart health!

Nutrition and Exercise

Only 53% of men over 18-years-old met the most recent federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity and almost 35% of men over 20-years-old are obese. Maintaining healthy exercise and nutrition routines is essential for men to live healthier lives. High blood pressure is often the culprit for dangerous repercussions from unhealthy habits. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls, and high blood pressure means the pressure in your arteries is above the normal range. 

Eating certain foods and gaining weight can increase your blood pressure, while making healthy choices to lose weight and eat better foods can have the ability to lower your blood pressure. It's wiser to eat foods lower in fat, salt, and calories, avoid foods such as fried foods, salty snacks, and butter--as these have been found to increase blood pressure. In comparison, choosing to eat lean meats, fruits and vegetables instead may help lower your blood pressure, putting less strain on your body. Furthermore, compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, men who eat more generous amounts are likely to have reduced risk of chronic disease.

Maintaining a regular exercise routine is just as important for men as choosing healthy foods. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days a week to remain physically healthy. If you're looking to lower your blood pressure, 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 4 times a week is recommended. Being physically active is essential in preventing heart disease and stroke. Alternating a cardio-based workout (such as running or swimming) with weight lifting can ensure you shed fat and build muscle in a healthy way. Not sure where to start? Check out these 25 Tips and Strategies for Exercise in Men.

 

 ~Thanks to the Women's Health Research Institute