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HVI-Health is Where the Heart Is-10’6×22’9 (1)
February is American Heart Month, a designated time to advocate for cardiovascular health and raise awareness about heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies every 33 seconds from heart disease, making heart disease the leading cause of death for both men and women of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Although the data appears disheartening, there are simple lifestyle changes that can be incorporated into your daily routine that can lower your risk factors.
Dr. Mike Campsey, Chief of Cardiology at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, said the "Essential 8," a program by the American Heart Association, can help people make impactful changes.
"The goal is to eliminate chronic disease. Heart disease is a chronic disease, and it's often caused by chronic diseases," Campsey said. "The American Heart Association put together a plan that focuses on eating better, moving more, getting quality sleep, not smoking, managing you weight appropriately, managing your cholesterol and managing your blood pressure."
Focusing on these eight areas are key, Campsey said. Improvements in one of the eight eventually lead to improvements in the others.
"Walking is the most important thing you can do. You want to be able to walk as long as you can," Campsey said. "The more you walk now, the more you'll be able to do it in the future."
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise throughout the week. That's 30 minutes, five days a week.
"Our bodies respond well to habits. If you can figure out a way to work exercise into your daily routine, as well as eating healthy and getting good sleep, you're going to do great," Campsey said. "It's when you don't pay attention or fail to get into a routine that your body is going to suffer."
Dr. Walid Gharib, an Interventional Cardiologist at WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital and Assistant Professor at West Virginia University's Heart and Vascular Institute, said "small, permanent changes make a world of difference."
"Rome wasn't built in a day. Every change you make -- just from a single meal -- is a change for the better," he said. "If you're sitting down and having breakfast with a couple of pieces of toast, try cutting the butter out or eliminating a piece of toast. These changes must be something you can live with forever. Making massive diet changes work, but no one maintains them."
Developing good habits earlier in life can be crucial in prevention.
"People that start to develop good habits early in life will continue them later in life. That's been well demonstrated in the literature," Campsey said. "If you're not paying attention to what you're eating now, that's going to carry into later life."
Early detection always plays a role.
"It's important to maintain wellness checks," Campsey said. "And it's important to get started as early as you can."
Gharib encourages anyone who thinks they may be having heart symptoms to see their primary care physician as soon as possible.
"It's never wrong to be evaluated by a doctor," he said. "I don't think there is an age where you can say you don't have to worry about (heart disease) because you're too young. The fact is our diets are full of things that are going to negativity effect cholesterol levels and effect your risk for heart disease. Good dietary choices from a young age and plenty of physical activity is going to be key to reversing this."
No one is immune to the risks of heart disease, even doctors. Campsey suffered a major stroke
on November 17, 2021 while exercising.
"I was in the middle of doing jumping jacks and something didn't seem right with my right hand. Next thing I know, I'm on the ground. My hand felt like it was pasted to the floor," he said. "I couldn't move my right leg. I couldn't move my right arm and I couldn't talk."
Campsey was able to alert his wife, who called 911. He was life flighted to the hospital, where doctors removed a clot from his brain.
"I walked out of the hospital on my own. My speech had recovered a little. My right arm was still dysfunctional. I did physical therapy and speech therapy for a couple of months," he said. "It all got better for me."
Campsey said doctors were never able to determine what caused his stoke. Now, he shares his experience so that his patients can proactively mitigate the risks.
"A lot of patients have heard and are always asking me how I am. I appreciate their concern," he said. "I try to relate it back to what's going on with them. They do understand that I at least know where they are coming from and where they are going with their journey."
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