Loving Your Heart
Joy Stepinski, MSN, RN-BC
February is filled with hearts, from celebrating Valentine’s Day with loved ones to the proclaiming of American Heart Month, a public awareness campaign devoted to heart disease. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicated February with this recognition, due to heart issues he experienced. Within the proclamation [1], he declared that education, programs, and research will combat cardiovascular diseases with the hope of eliminating them entirely. With respect to the health and well-being of the nation, Americans must be aware of the problem and measures taken to combat it. The month has maintained this title ever since.
While public awareness may seem promising and hopeful, 1964 was nearly 60 years ago. Heart disease has been the leading cause of death since the 1920s [2]. In 100 years, the health of Americans has not improved and evidence shows that it actually has worsened. Obesity is on the rise in staggering numbers. In fact, the estimated combined overweight and obese percentage of adult Americans over age 20 is 73.6% as of 2018 [3]. That is nearly three-quarters of the adult population! The concern is not just with adults. The obesity rate in children from 2 – 5 years is 12.7%, from 6 – 11 years is 20.7%, and from 12 – 19 years is 22.2% [4]!
The heart is at the center of the body and is vital for life. We cannot survive without it. The workings of the heart are truly intricate and fascinating. It functions as the coordinator of blood flow. As a mechanical pump, the heart contracts to direct this movement. Blood is received from the body through the right side and a contraction sends it to the lung. Once the blood is oxygenated, it returns to the heart through the left side and is propelled out to the body. There is constant movement and flow as blood enters through the upper chambers (atria) and a contraction forces the blood to the lower chambers (ventricles). Another contraction pushes the blood out of the ventricles to the lungs or to the body.
In order to contract, the heart requires an electrical system. An internal pacemaker (sinus node) found in the right atrium automatically generates an electrical impulse, which sets the heart rate. The surrounding cardiac cells detect the impulse, generate one of their own, and conduct the signal to a nearby cell, which ultimately leads to contraction of the atria and then the ventricles. This movement of blood is crucial for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the cells, the delivery of nutrients, and the removal of waste. In fact, according to Eastern philosophy, the heart is not only responsible for pushing the blood forward through the body, but also is key to awareness and the body’s life force [5].
When a problem exists with respect to the heart or the blood flow, the rest of the body likewise suffers. The heart is responsible for connecting the blood with each and every part of the body. It depends upon a functioning plumbing system. Just like the pipes in a house, the arteries must not be clogged. The clogging happens when the arteries become weak and blood fluid leaks out into the surrounding tissues. An inflammatory response occurs in an attempt to repair the artery. The end result is a plaque comprised of cholesterol, lipids, and other debris that narrows or occludes the artery [6]. The consequence of these narrowed arteries is that oxygen and nutrients cannot be delivered to the cells. Our whole body can be affected, from our head to our toes. Symptoms can show up in the form of a heart attack, stroke [6], cognitive disorder [7], tooth loss [8] back pain [9], erectile dysfunction [10], gallbladder disease [11], fatty liver disease [12], chronic kidney disease [6], peripheral artery disease [6], or mental health issues like depression [13]. In other words, heart disease affects not only our heart, but our entire physical, sexual, and mental health!
Caring for this vital organ is imperative to our survival. What can you do about it? Learn about your body and how your heart functions. Consider how you would like to age and whether optimal health is important to you. Pay attention to your diet. Fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and get rid of products that contain lurking oils. Strive for a normal body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to less than 25. Keep your cholesterol less than 150 mg/dL. Engage in regular exercise and move around as much as possible. Be aware of drug side effects. Medication like NSAIDs can cause an increase risk of heart attack or stroke [14]. Care for your spiritual and mental health. As a social media meme says “Fall in love with taking care of yourself: mind, body, and soul. There is only one of you.”
References
1. The American Presidency Project. (1964). Proclamation 3566 – American Heart Month, 1964. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-3566-american-heart-month-1964
2. Our World in Data. (n.d.) Death rates through the 20th century, United States 1900 to 1998. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/death-rates-through-the-20th-century
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Adult obesity facts. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Childhood obesity facts. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
5. Beinfield, H., & Korngold, E. (2013). Between heaven and earth: A guide to Chinese medicine. Ballantine Books.
6. American Heart Association. (2020). What is atherosclerosis? https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/about-cholesterol/atherosclerosis
7. Morris, M. C., Evans, D. A., Bienias, J. L., Tangney, C. C., Bennett, D. A., Aggarwal, N., ... & Wilson, R. S. (2003). Dietary fats and the risk of incident Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology, 60(2), 194-200.
8. Leao, T. S., Tomasi, G., Ibrahim, M. S., Conzatti, L., Marrone, L. P., Reynolds, M. A., & Gomes, M. S. (2020). Tooth loss is associated with atherosclerosis and a poorer functional outcome among stroke patients. Clinical Oral Investigations, 24(12), 4541–4548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03319-z
9. Kauppila, L. I. (2009). Atherosclerosis and disc degeneration/low-back pain–a systematic review. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 37(6), 661-670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2009.02.006
10. Vlachopoulos, C. V., Terentes-Printzios, D. G., Ioakeimidis, N. K., Aznaouridis, K. A., & Stefanadis, C. I. (2013). Prediction of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality with erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 6(1), 99-109. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.112.966903
11. Jiang, Z. Y., Sheng, X., Xu, C. Y., Li, W. W., Chang, X. X., Sun, L. Y., ... & Yu, L. F. (2013). Gallbladder gallstone disease is associated with newly diagnosed coronary artery atherosclerotic disease: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One, 8(9), e75400. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075400
12. Brea, A., Mosquera, D., Martín, E., Arizti, A., Cordero, J. L., & Ros, E. (2005). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with carotid atherosclerosis: a case–control study. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Viology, 25(5), 1045-1050. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/01.ATV.0000160613.57985.18
13. Chaddha, A., Robinson, E. A., Kline-Rogers, E., Alexandris-Souphis, T., & Rubenfire, M. (2016). Mental health and cardiovascular disease. The American Journal of Medicine, 129(11), 1145-1148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.05.018
14. USDA. (2018). FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA strengthens warning that non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause heart attacks or strokes. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-strengthens-warning-non-aspirin-nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory