NACOGDOCHES – With February serving as American Heart Health Month, there’s no better time for local residents to take control of their cardiac health.

According to information from the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer combined.

Despite such staggering figures, most Americans do not consider themselves at risk for heart disease. The reality is that millions of Americans are already living with some form of cardiovascular disease, which is why raising awareness within the community of the importance of heart health is paramount, said cardiac experts from Nacogdoches Medical Center.

“Cardiovascular disease can be extremely debilitating, leading to a poor quality of life that not only affects patients but also their loved ones,” said NMC interventional cardiologist Erica Fidone. “When left undiagnosed or untreated, cardiovascular disease can lead to a wide array of serious and life-threatening health complications, including heart failure, heart attack, stroke, amputations, and death.”

The term “heart disease” most often refers to the damage to the heart or blood vessels by a build-up of plaque in the arteries called atherosclerosis. Over time, that plaque can reduce blood flow to the heart or block arteries completely, which can lead to serious medical conditions and even death.

That build-up is often caused by a wide array of unhealthy lifestyle choices, said Dr. Fidone.

“Smoking, poor diet, high stress, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise are all things that can contribute to heart disease,” Dr. Fidone said. “Although there are genetic factors that can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, an individual’s lifestyle choices still have a huge impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

One common misconception regarding heart disease is that it is primarily an issue most associated with older men and that women should not be particularly concerned with heart health. Although research has shown that men are more likely to suffer heart attacks than women, women are more likely to die from heart attacks compared to men. To complicate matters, women experience different symptoms of heart attack than their male counterparts.

While men most commonly experience chest pain when having a heart attack, women can experience less noticeable symptoms that can often overshadow the chest pain experienced by men.

“When it comes to gender and cardiovascular disease, I always like to say “women never read the textbook”, meaning women often do not present with the typical symptoms that we learn about in medical school,” Dr. Fidone said. “This gender disparity is particularly important to me because more women than men die from heart attacks, as women perceive pain differently. For example, rather than complaining of chest pain, women may complain of more fatigue or malaise than normal. Additional concerning symptoms including neck or upper back pain, shortness of breath, or acid reflux symptoms may be dismissed or attributed to something else rather than cardiovascular disease.”

According to the American Heart Association, 83% of Americans believe that heart attacks are preventable, yet most Americans remain unmotivated to change their unhealthy habits contributing to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, 51% of Americans are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are two modifiable contributors to cardiovascular disease, both of which are common in the Deep East Texas region due to dietary choices and a lack of exercise. Dr. Justin Price, an interventional cardiologist with NMC, said that it’s never too late to make small changes that can have a dramatic health benefit over time.

“Lifestyle changes have a longer lasting benefit than a ‘crash diet,’” Dr. Price said. “Start small – minimize your sugar intake, reduce portion sizes at mealtime, avoid eating late at night, and of course eat more fruits and vegetables. Smoking cessation and lowering your cholesterol are vital to reducing your cardiovascular risk as well. If you start today, you can get results very rapidly on the road to living a healthier lifestyle.”

NMC is a proud recipient of the Core Certification for Chest Pain from The Joint Commission, making it a leader in cardiovascular care in Deep East Texas. NMC’s Chest Pain Center demonstrates expertise in:

• Quickly assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients 
• Continually improving processes and procedures 
• Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms 
• Ensuring Chest Pain Center personnel competency and training 
• Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care 
• Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
• Maintaining organizational structure and commitment
• Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack

For more information, visit https://www.nacmedicalcenter.com/services/cardiovascular/heart-disease.