Dr. George Fernaine, the section chief of cardiology at NYU Langone-Brooklyn, joined Staten Islander News Organization to discuss the importance of heart health, and particularly things that ordinary people can do to prevent themselves from developing heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, across all demographics such as race, gender, and ethnicity.
Dr. Fernaine advocates for lifestyle changes for his patients, to help them on their journey to regain health. Such changes are often able to slow the progression of heart disease, and prevent cardiovascular disease from causing severe health issues and death from heart attacks, stroke, and other related conditions. Watch the video for Dr. Fernaine’s advice for all Americans.
Some facts about Heart Disease:
- Every year, approximately 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, and white men. For women heart disease is second only to cancer.
- One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.
- Approximately 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2020—that’s 1 in every 5 deaths.
- About 20.1 million adults age 20 and older have Coronary Artery Disease.
- In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.
- High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease.
Tips for Prevention:
- Stop smoking: Smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the United States.
- Weight management: Maintaining a healthy weight, blood pressure and total cholesterol play a significant role in maintaining a healthy heart.
- Physical activity: The American Heart Association recommends five 30 minute moderate exercise sessions each week. Walking, jogging, biking and swimming are all great forms of exercise.
- Diabetes screening: Untreated diabetes can lead to heart disease, but it can be easily detected through a simple blood test and managed under the care of a doctor.
- Eat smart: Limiting junk and eating heart “superfoods” like salmon, nuts, berries etc. and limiting junk may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- More sleep: Sleeping helps restore the body, helps decrease stress and increases overall happiness. It is important to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Banner Image: Healthy Heart. Image Credit – Gordon Johnson
Staten Islander News Service Staff Writer
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