February often conjures images of all things heart. With Valentine’s Day falling at the exact mid-point of the month, stores are filled with heart-shaped cards, candy and more to celebrate the annual holiday of love. But there’s another reason to have hearts on the mind. Each February marks American Heart Month – a perfect time to focus on heart health and giving this important organ the attention it deserves.
Your heart is one of the hardest working and – at the same time – most vulnerable muscles in your body. Maintaining good heart health and ensuring that your heart has what it needs to keep ticking properly can help you add years to your life. But in the United States, more than 650,000 people die each year from heart disease, which has been the leading cause of death for decades.
Many heart disease deaths could be prevented with early action and intervention. People with heart disease may experience “classic” symptoms, such as chest pain or heart palpitations. For others, an early warning sign might be something that doesn’t initially seem to be related to the heart at all, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, swelling, or loss of consciousness.
Even without underlying health conditions, people should never treat anything with their heart lightly. That’s just one of the many reasons why cardiologists from VCU Health opened an office in Tappahannock last year – to help bring expanded cardiac medical services closer to home for residents of the Northern Neck. At the Pauley Heart Center at Tappahannock, Drs. Michael Lenhart, Archer Baskerville, Michael Kelly, Moe Makkiya, and soon Stephen Hunley provide care for patients with a range of cardiovascular conditions, including atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure.
The Pauley Center is focused on everything heart all year round. Its providers offer local residents access to preventative care, education and noninvasive medicine to help treat many heart conditions. And for a higher level of cardiac care, the Pauley Center is able to access expanded expertise and services available through its Richmond location.
“We are excited to bring our work at VCU Health into Tappahannock, it not only improves the overall health within the community, but it affords patients access to the benefits of world class medical research closer to home,” says Dr. Lenhart, who serves as medical director.
In addition to the clinic, the Pauley Heart Center in Tappahannock offers cardiology diagnostic services for evaluation and management of heart conditions. This might include an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood work, echocardiograms, nuclear medicine studies, stress testing and Holter monitoring.
“Our goal is to provide exceptional patient services, as well as to assist local physicians in determining whether a cardiac emergency is safe to treat locally or if it requires transfer to our Richmond facilities for more advanced care,” Dr. Lenhart adds.
TAKING CONTROL OF HEART HEALTH
There are a number of things you can do to improve heart health today.
- Eat healthy - Reduce intake of saturated fats, eat fewer processed foods, avoid refined sugars, and lower sodium in cases of high blood pressure (hypertension). Even just avoiding soda is a big step.
- Get regular exercise - Perform 30-40 minutes of regular aerobic exercise every day. Even just walking or riding a stationary bike.
- Quit tobacco use - This includes smoking and vaping. Avoid secondhand smoke, if possible.
- Reduce Stress - Regular exercise helps with many disorders like depression, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. It won’t fix everything, but it’s a great start.
- Get a good night’s sleep - Insufficient rest has been linked to cognitive issues, obesity and depression, in addition to heart attacks, arrhythmias, heart disease, hypertension, strokes and diabetes. Aim for no less than seven to eight hours each night.
To achieve optimal heart health, it is important to understand the warning signs of heart disease in addition to having a working knowledge of your family medical history, and know your cholesterol, blood pressure and other important numbers.
“Preventative care is the most important step to wellness, and both exercise and diet are crucial,” explains Dr. Lenhart. “The personal responsibility we take for our own health is the most effective means of preventing problems later in life, and this is especially true when it comes to our hearts.”