I have been diagnosed with heart disease...Now what?

Hey all,


In my previous posts I have touched on what heart disease is and the genetics behind heart disease. For this one, I wanted to discuss what to do if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with heart disease. My sister is an RN and works in a cardiologist office, so I wanted to get her insight on the advice she gives patients in her office once diagnosed with heart disease.

"If someone is diagnosed with heart disease I tell them that diet, exercise, and medication compliance can help significantly reduce their risk of worsening the disease. Lifestyle modifications are key." - Kendall Love, RN

Now, my sister is no cardiologist, but she is VERY knowledgable on the heart and different diseases of the heart. Heart disease, if you have read my posts before, is the NUMBER 1 cause of death in the United States. Knowing what to do once diagnosed with heart disease and how to treat heart disease is imperative.

"The goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms, reduce risk factors in an effort to slow, stop, or reverse the buildup of plaque, lower the risk of blood clots forming, widen or bypass-clogged coronary (heart) arteries, and prevent CHD complications" (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014).

It is important to be knowledgeable on heart disease, anyone, including you and I, could be diagnosed with it down the line. Prevention is incredibly important as well, but also being realistic and know what to do if diagnosed is important as well.

I hope you find this post helpful! :)

Healthy Heart, Happy Life!

National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute, (2014). How is heart disease treated? Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hdw/treatment

Heart Disease...Is it genetic?

In my previous post, I mentioned how much my family has been affected by heart disease, specifically mentioning my dad. My dad was in his 40s when I was born and when I first heard about how bad his heart really is. I was in kindergarten when my dad was rushed into open heart surgery with seven bypasses - way too many. Being only five, I didn't know just how serious heart disease is and how bad it was affecting my dad. Since then, my dad goes every year for tests and to see if there is blockage in his heart that would need a stent. It is a tense week in my family when those appointments come around, but the appointments are extremely necessary to not only my dad's health, but his life.

With me having so much experience with heart disease, it got me thinking, is this genetic? Am I at an  increase for heart disease since my dad has a bad heart? I did some research and found that heart disease and risk factors for heart disease are strongly linked to family history. "Knowing you family's health history can help prevent both heart disease and stroke - the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in America" (American Heart Association, 2016). I know for a fact millions of families are just like mine and have family members suffering from heart disease. In fact, I'm sure some of you reading this now know someone who has unfortunately suffered from a heart attack or had stents put in to prevent blockage in the arteries. It is extremely common and very unfortunate.

It is SO IMPORTANT that we know our family history in all areas of health, including heart disease. We are always asked a million questions when at the doctor regarding smoking, pregnancies, cancer, and we are most definitely asked about heart disease in the family. Now, don't get me wrong, just because you have a family member who has heart disease DOES NOT mean you will automatically have problems with your heart in the future, but it definitely raises some red flags and means you need to be more active in knowing your family health history. I am very aware of the changes I need to make in my life because of genetics - I need to eat healthier, I need to exercise, I need to be in tune with my blood pressure, and I need to be in contact with my physician about my worries if I have any. While we can't change genetics, the more we are aware of who we are, our family line, and our family health, we can make the most of that information and live life as healthy as we can.

Healthy Heart, Happy Life!

Thank you for reading!

American Heart Association, (2016). Family History and Heart Disease, Stroke. American Heart
          Association. Retrieved from                   http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/Family-History-and-Heart-Disease-Stroke_UCM_442849_Article.jsp#.V_KcIqIrK2w