A few words about heart disease

I came across this on another blog that I frequently get updates from (Corporate Fitness and Wellness Today). Following the tragic passing of Tim Russert and George Carlin, The Chaphill School of medicine at the University of North Carolina put this out in memory of George Carlin. Read on....

7 dirty words about heart disease
• Diet – fat, sugar and foods high in cholesterol are known to contribute to heart disease; diabetes (also diet related) also damages the heart and blood vessels.

• Genetics – African Americans, Hispanics, native Americans all have higher rates of high blood pressure and heart disease

• Stress – working too much, dramatic personal lives, worrying, depression; also feeding stress with too much alcohol and other drugs (Carlin reportedly went through drug and alcohol rehab in 2004)

• Smoking – constricts blood vessels and strains the heart and lungs

• Inactivity – the heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised; even moderate activity is helpful, and losing 10 pounds can reduce your cardiac risk

• High blood pressure – leads to undue stress on a variety of organs, including the heart; combined with other risk factors it increases the chance of a heart attack many times

• Denial – saying “it won’t happen to me,” without changing your lifestyle, guarantees you won’t see a decrease in your risk

Courtesy of the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.