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NOVEMBER 4, 2022
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THEHEARTOFTHEMATTER I’VEHADIT WITH LIFE
As regular readers (thanks!) of this publication know, our previous issue featured a cover story about cheating cancer. It highlighted that medical researchers estimate almost half of all cancers are preventable. Considering what a scourge cancer is, that is fabtastic news. But as bad as cancer might be, it’s not the worst thing we have to deal with. That dubious distinction belongs to heart disease; it’s the leading cause of death among both men and women. The good news is that we could have entitled this article, “Be A Cheater, Part II,” because heart disease, like many cancers, is also eminently preventable. And it isn’t even particularly complicated. In fact, it could be distilled down to four basics, the ABCs of heart disease prevention. Here you go, free of charge: A IS FOR ASPIRIN Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin to prevent or lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It isn’t ideal for everyone, but for many people aspirin is a simple, inexpensive, and effective strategy. B IS FOR BLOOD PRESSURE High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke or heart attack more than any other factor. Knowing your bp is the first step toward controlling it (if it’s high - and it probably is). C IS FOR CHOLESTEROL There’s good cholesterol and there’s bad cholesterol. And there’s having enough of this necessary substance and there’s having too much. Knowledge of your numbers can help make them better numbers. S IS FOR SMOKING Smoking increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke by raising blood pressure. Quitting offers both immediate and long-term benefits in a number of ways. Your doctor and pharmacist can help.
Of course, there are additional steps that can be taken, but those four are excellent starting points for all of us (even non-heart patients). For those who want extra credit — and healthier hearts — consider a moderate exercise program. The CDC says it can be as simple as walking for 10 minutes (walk 5 minutes, turn around, walk back) 3 times a day 5 days a week. That’s doable. Another simple strategy for extra credit — and one that happens to be delicious — is eating a healthy diet, one low in fat and sodium. That doesn’t mean tasteless. There are all kinds of healthy foods and tasty spices that aren’t sinful in the fat and salt departments. One other important component of being a responsible heart owner is being a good patient. Most people with a heart issue are under a doctor’s care. Do what your doctor has told you to do. Take the medicine you’ve been prescribed. Refill when you run out. Communicate when the medicine makes you feel bad. Give the effort to be heart-healthy your whole heart and there’s an excellent chance your heart will repay you handsomely. +
The desire and will to live are among the most basic human instincts. At least one would think so. But an August 2020 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that more than 25% of people between 18 and 24 had seriously contemplated suicide within the past 30 days. The same survey revealed the number for the 25 to 44 age group was 16%. Indeed, between 2000 and 2020, more than 800,000 Americans died by suicide, a stretch of time during which SUICIDE the suicide rate rose by 30%. The & CRISIS latest numbers are for the year 2020, when nearly 46,000 people in this LIFELINE country took their own life (although due to the stigma associated with suicide, all suicide statistics are considered to be under-reported). Added to that figure are the countless unsuccessful attempts which can leave behind serious injuries with long-lasting effects. Another significantly affected group are the friends, family, loved ones, and co-workers of those who die by suicide. They experience grief, shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and may even have thoughts of suicide themselves. It’s a huge and growing public health issue with no simple solution in sight. Read the proposals of various agencies targeting this plague and they seem long-term and very ambitious (translation: unlikely to happen anytime soon). Things are not completely hopeless. But people do have to avail themselves of the abundance of available help. It’s out there all day and all night every day of the year for people who are in a bad place. The problem is often mustering the motivation to seek help while in the depths of despair. But the people who answer at the 9-8-8 Lifeline are happy to talk to someone who wants to help a possibly suicidal friend. We can all help. +
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