A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delivered good news: Life expectancy in the United States increased in 2018 for the first time in several years, and the rate of heart disease took a small dip.

While this may be cause for cautious optimism, we cannot be complacent. Heart disease remains this countrys No. 1 cause of death for men and women, claiming more than 647,000 lives every year.

The term heart disease encompasses a wide range of disorders, including abnormal rhythms, valve failures and heart muscle disease. When we talk about heart-related fatalities, you might think first of heart attacks. Heart attacks are dangerous but the majority are not fatal. Those who survive may sustain heart muscle damage leading to lifelong heart failure. Quick intervention and treatment are often the key to survival and are essential in lessening the damage.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. In our continuous quest to improve the care we provide to all our patients, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend recently concluded a rigorous, months-long process to achieve Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. This designation demonstrates expertise, innovation and commitment to evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. We are the only local hospital recognized as a best practice center of excellence in treating chest pain.

Most often, a heart attack occurs when a blood clot or cholesterol plaque blocks blood flow in the arteries feeding the heart, depriving it of oxygen and causing tissue damage. Such blockages fall into one of two categories: chronic and stable or acute and unstable.

If a patients blockage is considered acute and unstable, we treat it with either a stent, which is a metal mesh tube inserted into the vessel to keep the passageway open, or bypass surgery.

With patients whose blockages are chronic and stable, we have a different approach. Ideally, we start with lifestyle changes. This has been our standard practice at the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute for many years, and it was recently affirmed by a widespread study sponsored by the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute.

As you might guess, lifestyle change means diet and exercise. Although fad diets are not recommended, the Mediterranean diet has been proven to be beneficial to heart patients. This diet consists of lean meats and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and avocados. While intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets like the keto diet have become very popular, they may have side effects and we urge anyone considering them to first discuss with a physician.

Exercise is vital. In addition to keeping the inner lining of the heart and heart vessels healthy, exercise also leads to better sleep, mood and mobility, and reduces inflammation in the body. This adds up to a healthier, better life overall.

As we wrap up American Heart Month, we hope that more people not just those with heart concerns will embrace the message of healthy lifestyles and either maintain good habits or make the necessary changes to keep their hearts healthy and strong.

Sudeshna Banerjee, MD, is a cardiologist at Oregon Cardiology, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. For more ways to stay your healthiest http://www.peacehealth.org/healthyyou.

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Healthy You: Healthy lifestyle is best prevention and treatment for heart disease - The Register-Guard