February is National Heart Health Month.
While most people think about February as the month in which we celebrate Valentine’s Day, Lehigh Valley Health Network cardiologist Dr. Yaqoob A. Mohyuddin recommends we take time during February to take stock of our heart’s health.
“Certainly, it is important to spend time thinking about the health of our hearts,” said Dr. Mohyuddin, associate chief, Division of Cardiology at Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Hazleton campus. He pointed out that while heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States, it also is a disease for which we can mitigate risks.
Dr. Mohyuddin explained that as we get older our risks of heart disease increase, and while there is nothing we can do to control the aging process, or genetics, there are steps we can take to minimize our risk of heart disease. “There are other factors that are modifiable such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity,” he pointed out.
“The simplest steps are often the toughest,” the cardiologist noted. One of those steps that can be taken include mild physical activity five days a week for 30 minutes. Another is watching your diet. He recommends following a plant-based Mediterranean diet and including plenty of fish instead of red meat. He acknowledges those two steps may not be the easiest but are vital in maintaining a healthy heart.
“Some of the hardest things (to find time for) in today’s world are diet and exercise,” he said. “We focus on everything else, but not our heath.”
So many people, whether working from home or in offices have sedentary jobs that involve little physical activity, he noted. “Sitting is the new smoking,” he offered. It’s an evolving risk factor.” Dr. Mohyuddin suggests that if you have a sedentary job, make a point of getting up and walking around regularly.
Other steps to mitigate the risk of heart disease include quitting smoking. That includes vaping, the cardiologist emphasized. Monitor your blood pressure. He suggests purchasing a blood pressure monitor which are readily available and rather inexpensive. He also recommends having annual bloodwork to monitor cholesterol and risk of diabetes.
The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease which is caused by a blockage of the arteries of the heart. Dr. Mohyuddin explained that deposits of cholesterol can create plaque which blocks the arteries. This slow buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart, he noted, can start as early as early teen years.
When blood vessel becomes 70 percent blocked by this plaque, a person becomes symptomatic. At this point, the problem can be treated with a stent which is inserted in the blocked blood vessel. The stent opens the blood vessel and reduces the symptoms. He emphasized, though, that the plaque is still there. The treatment can include use of aspirin and cholesterol medication. A regimen of mild physical activity under supervision of a doctor and a change in diet also are recommended. That diet, Dr. Mohyuddin again emphasized, should be a Mediterranean diet which includes eating whole grains and seafood.
Dr. Mohyuddin said most people who have heart attacks without significant damage to heart muscle have a fairly decent lifespan, as long as they take prescribed medication and change their eating habits and increase physical activity.
Another common heart problem Dr. Mohyuddin sees is Atrial fibrillation or AFib. This is a form of arrhythmia in which there is a disconnect between top and bottom chambers of the heart. The top chamber can be beating at as high as 300 beats per minute or quivering while the bottom chamber is beating slow or fast. As a result, he explained blood pools and can clot creating risk of stroke. People with AFib, the cardiologist related, have a five times higher risk of stroke. Those strokes, he said, tend to be more severe because the clots tend to be larger and affect larger portions of the brain.
Atrial Fibrillation often is brought about by age, or high blood pressure. Other risk factors include binge drinking which has a toxic effect on the heart, hyperthyroid issues, obesity and sleep apnea. The condition is usually treated by a cardioversion or an ablation, or, if nothing else works, pacemaker.
The Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Heart and Vascular Institute offers many treatment options for people with heart issues.
Dr. Mohyuddin said the Heart and Vascular Institute brings together specialists in cardiovascular surgery, vascular surgery and cardiologists. These specialists, he said, collaborate and research to provide optimal medical care to patients.
“The Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute offers state of the art procedures, from simplest like an EKG to high-end procedures like ablations, valve replacements and mitral valve replacements,” he said. “Everything a patient needs from cardiovascular standpoint is under one umbrella.”
Dr. Mohyuddin said non-invasive procedures and testing normally are done at the Hazleton campus. Mor extensive invasive procedures are done at the Cedar Crest campus in Allentown.
