Dialogue with a Doctor: 4 Things You Should Know About Heart Health

Why is heart health so important? Granted, everyone knows it’s important to eat “heart healthy” and exercise for the health of your heart, but what is it about this particular organ that requires such time and attention? What should you know to keep your heart operating at optimum levels? Dr. Barbara Joy Jones, one of the lead physicians for Gwinnett Medical Center’s Corporate Health program, breaks it all down – one step at a time.

Your heart is the biggest organ of the cardiovascular system. When the heart is cared for, the rest of our veins, arteries and capillaries are cared for.

The heart’s main job is to pump oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body (and it does this about 115,000 times a day and 42 million times in year). “Your heart pumps blood to the entire body, and a strong, resilient heart supports the body during rest and physical activities. While the heart is the biggest organ in the cardiovascular system, veins, arteries and capillaries are also critical components,” said Dr. Jones. “They are one big working system,” she added, “and thus their health is vital.”

Biometric screenings can provide insight into the health of your heart.

A biometric screening can help identify any significant cardiovascular or nervous system problems through several measurements including: cholesterol levels and glucose; blood pressure; and a measurement of height, weight and body mass index (BMI). “Having a biometric screening gives you a baseline,” said Dr. Jones. Elevated numbers can indicate a number of issues that include:

• High cholesterol
• A risk for prediabetes
• Elevated blood pressure can reflect lack of sleep, high unmitigated stress or a high sodium diet

But, here’s the good news: improved nutrition and diet, exercise and sleep can be all helpful in addressing these issues. “Furthermore,” adds Dr. Jones, “if you do have an elevated reading like blood pressure at a screening, you can be directed to your primary care physician for further workup.”

Prevention is key.

“The body does a great job of compensating," says Dr. Jones. “So, by the time you actually have symptoms of disease, there is damage already done.” She emphasizes paying particular attention to symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, leg swelling and chest pain, and seeing your Primary Care physician as soon as possible.

There is a surprising link between emotions—both positive and negative—and heart heath.

Several studies strongly suggest that certain psychosocial factors such as grief, depression, and job loss contribute to heart attack and cardiac arrest. Stress may affect risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure. It may also spur on risky coping behaviors that impact heart health, such as smoking, overeating, drinking too much alcohol and physical inactivity.

But, overall, emotional stress causes a negative chain reaction within your body by releasing stress hormones—cortisol and adrenaline. They prepare your body to deal with stress by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, as well as narrowing blood vessels to help push blood to the center of the body.

After your stress subsides, your blood pressure and heart rate should return to normal. If you're continually stressed, your body doesn't have a chance to recover which may lead to damage of your artery walls.

It isn’t just stress and frustration that impact heart health; the opposite is true, too. In a recent research review, studies showed that people with a positive outlook tended to have lower blood pressure levels and healthier cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Although it’s not entirely clear how optimism and heart health are connected, researchers believe optimistic people may have greater buffers against stress, a factor in heart disease risk. Dr. Jones reminds us to try mindfulness training, such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation. Another healthy technique is the adoption of habits to increase optimism by making a list of what you’re grateful for, or identifying and building on your personal strengths.

To provide your employees with insight into their heart health, Gwinnett Medical Center Corporate Health has the knowledge to help you implement an effective wellness program that includes biometric screenings. To learn more about GMC’s Corporate Health offerings or to speak to someone about implementing this program in your workplace, visit gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/corporatehealth or call 678-981-9147.