Welcome to the Shick Heart Center
High blood pressure often results from the heart having to work harder to get oxygenated blood delivered to the body. When the heart has to work harder it increases the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The risk for (CAD) doubles for every 20/19 mmhg over 115/75 mgHg. For this reason the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has set for the following blood pressure classification chart:
|
BP Classification |
SBP mmHg |
DBP mmHG |
|
Normal |
<120 |
<80 |
|
Pre hypertension |
120-139 |
80-89 |
|
Stage 1 Hypertension |
140-159 |
90-99 |
|
Stage 2 Hypertension |
> 160 |
> 100 |
Treatments for lowering blood pressure include medication prescribed by a physician, low salt diet and regular aerobic exercise.
Learn more about High Blood Pressure
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that circulates throughout your body. It’s main function is to assist with nerve conduction. Our bodies actually make 2/3’s of the cholesterol our bodies need. In the United States we consume far more cholesterol than our bodies can handle, which is one reason the rate of heart disease continues to increase. When too much cholesterol is circulating in the blood stream it sticks to the artery walls creating a narrow passage for blood to pass through. There are different types of cholesterol commonly referred to as good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
HDL or Healthy cholesterol is less sticky and easier for the body to process.
Learn more about Cholesterol, LDL, HDL and Triglycerides
Diabetes This is when too much blood sugar (glucose) is floating around in the blood. The body is unable to rid itself of the glucose and may need assistance with medication or strict diet control. When glucose is circulating at high levels in the blood, the blood becomes thicker and flows at a sluggish rate. This makes it easier to develop plaques on the walls of the arteries. Tight blood glucose control is of heightened concern when one is diabetic. The diabetic association recommends blood glucose to be maintained between 80 mg/dl – 140mg / dl.
Learn more about Diabetes
Diet Following a low fat, low cholesterol, no added salt diet helps to preserve your heart muscle, slow down the progression of heart disease and will assist in prevention of other diseases.
Learn more about Diet and Cardiovascular Disease
For more information about Nutrition and Diet visit the American Dietic Association Website
Exercise Inactivity may promote coronary artery disease. Regular exercise promotes increased blood flow, assists in maintaining healthy body weight, lowers blood pressure, improves blood sugar control and assists in increasing the healthy cholesterol. (HDL)
Learn more about Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease
Smoking Tobacco causes the arteries to narrow and makes the heart work harder. Smoking dramatically increases the risk of Coronary artery disease (CAD). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one year after quitting, the risk of (CAD) decreases by 50%. Within 15 years the relative risk of dying from CAD for an ex-smoker approaches that of a lifetime nonsmoker.
Learn more about Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease
Stress When our bodies endure stress, certain chemicals are released in our bodies which causes the heart to work harder and faster. This can be beneficial in emergency situations, where quick energy and response time is needed. However, over prolonged periods of time it can wear down our bodies and assist in the development of diseases, such as heart disease. Since elimination of stress is not usually possible, it is important to identify your stressors and learn better ways to manage that stress.
Learn more about Managing Stress
Weight
Our body is a machine and our machine functions best when it is feed appropriate nutrients and at optimal body weight. One of the best indicators of optimal body weight is the Body/Mass Index (weight in kg/length in meters squared)
Calculate your body mass index, optimal body weight and more...