Your Heart Health is a priority to our network of providers. Heart disease is a leading cause of death for women and men in the United States and many Americans remain at risk of getting it, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Heart disease is largely preventable so focusing on improving your heart health has never been more important.

“Studies show self-care routines, such as taking a daily walk and keeping doctor’s appointments, help us keep our blood pressure in the healthy range and reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke,” said David Goff, M.D., NHLBI’s director of cardiovascular sciences.

TIPS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART

Here are a few self-care tips from the American Heart Association to try every day to make your heart a priority:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Strive for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.
• Eat healthier. Eat lots of fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy, and less saturated and total fat.
• Reduce sodium. Ideally, stay under 1,500 mg a day, but aim for at least a 1,000 mg per day reduction. 
• Get active. Aim for at least 90 to 150 minutes of aerobic and/or dynamic resistance exercise per week and/or three sessions of isometric resistance exercises per week. 
• Limit alcohol. Drink no more than 1-2 drinks a day. (One for most women, two for most men.)
• Get quality sleep. The National Sleep Foundation advises that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Babies, young children, and teens need even more sleep to enable their growth and development. People over 65 should also get 7 to 8 hours per night.

Be mindful of your health and regularly monitor your blood pressure or blood sugar if needed. Keep an eye on your weight to make sure it stays within or moves toward a healthy range. Being aware of your health status is key to making positive changes.

If you have symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) such as excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, episodes of paused breathing during sleep, abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking, treating your apnea immediately will help to greatly reduce your risk of a heart attack.

THE LINK BETWEEN SLEEP APNEA AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE



Between 40% and 80% of people with cardiovascular disease also have sleep apnea. It affects about 34% of middle-aged men and 17% of middle-aged women.

OSA has been linked to several cardiovascular complications, including high blood pressure, especially when it is difficult to treat; stroke; worsening heart failure and heart disease; Type 2 diabetes; metabolic syndrome; and pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the heart. It also occurs more often in people at high risk for heart attacks.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of OSA, learning more about taking care of this condition through Oral Appliance Therapy may improve your heart health. Visit our page at pghdsm.com for more information and treatment options.