New Heart Disease Prevention Recommendations

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology are now recommending the following to increase heart patient survival, prevent second heart attacks and strokes, reduce the need for bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty, and generally improve the quality of life for heart patients:

• More routine use of high-potency statins to lower bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL)
• Expanding the use of other drugs that lower blood pressure and ease the heart’s workload.
• Seasonal flu shots for all chronic heart disease patients.
• Dropping daily doses of aspirin to between 75 milligrams a day and 162 milligrams, except in patients who have had bypass surgery. Bypass patients fare best on 100 to 300 milligrams a day for up to a year.

These guidelines are for people who already have heart disease. The recommendations for primary prevention in currently healthy people are still unclear but common sense prevails – eat right, exercise, and live a happy and hearty life!

LOWER RISK FOR A SECOND ATTACK

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines, endorsed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, set targets for six key risk factors:

• Eliminate cigarette smoke, including secondhand exposure.
• Lower blood pressure to 140/90 in most heart patients and 130/80 in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
• Lower LDL to less than 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood. The guidelines also say it’s reasonable to aim lower, to 70 milligrams per deciliter.
• Boost exercise levels to 30-60 minutes seven days a week, up from 30 minutes three or four days a week.
• Shrink waistlines, men to less than 40 inches and women to less than 35 inches.
• If you have diabetes, keep your average blood sugar level to 7% or below.

USA Today, May 15, 2006

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