Are you at risk for heart disease?

Our hearts can swell with love and be broken by loss, but they have an even more important role to play when it comes to our physical health. Without a properly functioning heart, our blood cannot circulate throughout the body causing other organs to start to shut down. The American Heart Association uses the term heart disease to refer to any disorders related to the heart. The most common type is cardiovascular diseases like heart attack or stroke that are caused by plaque buildup in the arteries.

"Heart attacks and strokes combined kill half of the men and women in our country," said Dr. Vincent M. Figueredo, director of Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Programs and associate chair of the Cardiology Division of Einstein Medical Center in a recent phone interview. "But there are other types of heart disease as well like heart failure (when the pumping action of the heart is poor), arrhythmia (electrical disturbances of the heart) and heart valve disorders."

In trying to understand heart disease, one common mistake many people make is using the terms cardiac arrest and heart attack interchangeably when they are very different.

Cardiac arrest vs. heart attack

Cardiac Arrest is when the heart due to a malfunction stops beating. According to heart.org, "Cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs."

Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem while a heart attack is a circulation problem. On heart.org, the American Heart Association states that "a heart attack is when a blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If the blocked artery is not re-opened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die."

Death can occur within minutes of cardiac arrest. During a heart attack, the heart usually doesn't stop beating, but the longer the person goes without treatment, the greater the damage. While cardiac arrest can be caused by a heart attack, not every heart attack leads to cardiac arrest.

Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle

"Healthy diet and exercise are the best weapons we have against heart disease," Dr. Figueredo said. He believes that avoiding red meat and sugary drinks and choosing instead a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables like in the Mediterranean diet is important for avoiding risk factors like obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

"When it comes to heart health there are risk factors we cannot effect like age, gender and genetics, but there are others that we can, like smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, poor diet, and lack of physical activity," he explained. "High blood pressure is probably one of the risk factors many people underestimate. Called a silent killer, poorly treated blood pressure can lead to a heart attack."

When asked whether high levels of sugar or sodium are worse for your heart, he said, "Too much of anything is bad. Increased sugar added to things has been associated with heart disease and obesity, and worsens diabetes control while increased sodium worsens blood pressure. The importance of either risk factor really varies from person to person."

Magnesium has also been making headlines lately as being important to heart health. According to Newsmax, "low levels of magnesium have been linked to cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, cholesterol, and hardening of the arteries. A 2010 study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that higher levels of magnesium were linked to lower risks of sudden cardiac death. With a very high percentage of people not meeting the recommended daily intake of the mineral, many health professionals now suggest implementing with magnesium for heart health and heart attack prevention."

Dr. Figueredo explained that low levels of magnesium have been linked to hardening of arteries and electrical disturbances in heart failure patients. He said that many people, especially older patients, have low levels of magnesium because they don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, and even when they do, the crops tends to be lacking in magnesium because of farming practices that leach the mineral from the land.

Eating healthier isn't enough though to protect your heart. Regular exercise (at least 4 days a week, take a 30 minute walk) is also a must.

"Even three 10 minute walks is certainly better than doing nothing at all," Dr. Figueredo suggested.

Remember that exercise doesn't necessarily have to happen at a gym or health club which requires money and time you might not have. Daily walks are very effective as well as simply cleaning your house or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Symptoms of heart disease

You might be surprised to know that the symptoms of heart disease aren't as always as straight forward as we see on television when someone suddenly grabs for their chest. Because time is of the essence when it comes to getting treatment, knowing what to look for can save your live or the life of a loved one.

One recent study published in the American Heart Association's Rapid Access Journal Report found that if you struggle to stand on one leg for even less than 20 seconds that this might indicate a greater risk for stroke, and small blood vessel damage in the brain.

"The classical presentation of a heart attack is the pressure in chest, like a vice around your heart, but some patient groups like women, older patients and those living with diabetes present with atypical symptoms such as severe weakness or fatigue," said Dr. Figueredo. "If there is a sudden change from one day to the next where you have shortness of breath, persistent pain in the chest, or extreme fatigue, go to the E.R." He recommends the American Heart Association's website for a good resource for a comprehensive list of symptoms.

Living a heart-healthy lifestyle cannot be stressed enough as we move closer to Heart Month in February. During the month of love, instead of indulging in chocolate, give your heart the gift of balanced nutrition and exercise.