Monitor health to prevent disease

  • Published
  • By Maj. Rose Popovich
  • 71st Medical Group
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  While sweethearts are thinking of how to make hearts happy this month, the nation is focused on how to make them healthy for life.
February is National Heart Month.
Heart disease accounts for 43 percent of all deaths in the United States each year. Most Americans dream of enjoying many active years after retirement. Taking care of arteries today can help make this possible. To keep heart disease in check, individuals can monitor themselves for these risk factors:
High blood pressure
The biggest problem with high blood pressure is it usually does not have any symptoms. A normal blood pressure is 120 over 80 or lower. Lifestyle changes people can initiate to help lower blood pressure include losing weight; eating a low-fat diet with increased amounts of fruits and vegetables and drinking low-fat dairy; decreasing salt intake; regular exercise; reducing stress; and restricting alcohol consumption.
Cigarette smoking
Smokers more than double their risk of heart disease. People exposed to secondhand smoke increase their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
Overweight
Carrying extra pounds can strain the heart. Extra pounds around the waist are at higher risk than extra weight around the hips and thighs.
Undesirable blood-cholesterol levels
Healthy adults should have their cholesterol and triglyceride levels measured every five years. An individual's total cholesterol level should be below 200. High-density lipoprotein, or "good," cholesterol should be 60 or greater. Low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol should be 130 or lower. A high-fiber diet helps keep cholesterol levels down. Mono-saturated fats are healthier than saturated or trans-fatty foods.
Lack of regular exercise
People should get at least 30 to 60 minutes weekly of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or stair climbing.
Diabetes
Uncontrollable diabetes greatly increases the risk of heart disease. Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes, tends to appear in middle age and overweight people.
Stress
Turning to alcohol, cigarettes and fatty foods for stress relief increases a person's risk of heart disease. A better bet is to use regular exercise as a stress relief.
These risk factors are nothing new, but continue to be ignored by those who are impacted by them. There are resources at Vance that can assist people with conquering each of these risk factors. To take advantage of those resources:
n Make an appointment with a medical provider and discuss risk factors. Individuals will receive an accurate blood pressure reading, weight and blood tests to establish baseline readings. To make an appointment, call 7416 or visit www.tricareonline.com 
n Schedule a fitness assessment to evaluate current physical fitness levels. Active-duty members can call the health and wellness center at 7968. All others can contact the fitness center at 7670.
n For nutritional counseling and meal planning, call the HAWC to receive individual counseling on healthy diets, lowering cholesterol and diabetes.
n There are several options for stress reduction. The HAWC has a relaxation room equipped with two massage chairs in a peaceful atmosphere. Visitors can spend as little as 15 minutes there in a relaxed atmosphere. The room is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The staff in life skills is also available for stress reduction counseling. To make an appointment, call 7419.
n There are two programs at Vance to help tobacco users quit. Individual counseling is offered at the HAWC, or the other option is calling (800) 548-8252. Callers will be put in touch with an American Lung Association counselor. The counselor provides telephone counseling from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. This program also allows smokers to receive tobacco-quit aides such as nicotine gum, patches or pills if requested. A member can call the telephone counselor on an as-needed basis.
 The hardest part in changing one's lifestyle is starting. Don't let that New Year's resolution be forgotten. Now is the time to take preventive steps to enhance quality of life for you and your family.
 (Information from the Hope Heart Institute contributed to this article.)