Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 - (Page 23)

knowing what’s happening to your heart as you age is the first tunity important muscle by kathryn stewart illustrations by jessie hartland step toward preserving your most in your 30s ❋ WHAT’S GOING ON: If you’re on the right track, you eat a low-fat diet of fresh produce, whole grains and healthy fats, exercise for 30 minutes several times a week— and, most important, you don’t smoke. As a result, your heart is functioning optimally at this stage of life. Artery walls are smooth, slick and pliant, and you have a healthy maximum heart rate of 190 to 200 beats per minute. ❋ WARNING: A busy lifestyle may be leading you to eat a lot of processed foods high in salt and trans fat. Salt could be making your arteries stiff and rigid before their time, and even a slight increase in trans fat consumption can increase your risk of heart disease signiﬁcantly, Ozner says. Even in your 30s, you could be developing the fatty streaks in your arteries called atherosclerosis. ❋ RED FLAGS: Your family history is considered a risk factor for cardiac problems if Mom had heart disease younger than age 65 or Dad developed it before age 55. Since HDL cholesterol is the good stuff, you should be concerned if yours is less than 50 if you’re a woman, and less than 40 if you’re a man. If either risk factor applies to you, Goldberg says, “it’s time to get on the stick to prevent heart disease.” in your 40s ❋ WHAT’S GOING ON: Your body’s muscles naturally lose mass as you age, and this applies to the heart muscle as well. As part of your exercise routine, be sure to include weight training to prevent that loss, Goldberg advises. ❋ WARNING: Smoking directly damages your blood vessels (the ones that supply blood to the heart). Continuing this dangerous habit increases the risk of clots forming in the arteries, lowers your HDL cholesterol and can cause arteries to spasm, Goldberg says. Smokers have more than twice the risk of having a heart attack as nonsmokers. If you want to quit but are concerned about gaining weight, incorporate physical activity into your plan—the increased activity will distract your mind and help keep your weight down. ❋ RED FLAG: If you’re carrying extra pounds around your middle section (aka belly fat), you are increasing your risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes. “All you need to do is get out a tape measure,” Goldberg says. “If your waist size is greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, it’s time to slim down.” vim & vigor · wi nter 2008 23

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 Contents Friendly Faces For Your Health 'Tis the Season to be Safe Eat Your Veggies Joint Effort Fresh Beginnings Decades of Opportunity Keeping Score Your Big Give Roll Up Your Sleeve Tidings of Comfort and Health Blueprint for Safety The Smoke-Free Mom-to-Be Childbirth Trends Moms Choosing Midwives Community Sections Dollars & Sense Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

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