Are You At Risk For A Heart Attack? by Arthur Agatston, M.D. (NAPSA)—When you hear about a loved one or friend having a fatal heart attack, you may ask yourself, “How could this have happened? Isn’t there anything that could have been doneto prevent this tragedy?” The answer very well may be “yes.” One of the best-kept secrets in America is that doctors around the country who their practices. THE 4-STEP PLAN THAT CAN SAVE YOURLIFE PROGRAM Do you eat fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains daily? * Do you avoid trans fatty acids in your diet? While doctors have the diagnostic tools to detect cardiovascular disease in its early stages, years if not decades before a heart attack occurs, too few people are taking advantage of thesetools. Because many heart attacks occur in people who have unremarkable conventional risk factors, getting the right diagnostic tests can becritical. Talk with your doctor about whether you are a candidate for a is still the num- Arthur Agatston, MD dure that shows the amount of calcified plaque in your coronary are practicing aggressive prevention are see- ing heart attacks disappear from Yet, heart disease ber-one killer in the U.S. Over a million people have angioplasty a year, and nearly a half million have bypass surgery. Invasive heart procedures are on the rise. If we know how to prevent Dr. Agatston heart disease, shouldn’t these numbers be going down? Why are we doing so much “plumbing” and not enough “healing”? Answering these questions from “The South Beach Heart Program” can help determineif you are at risk for a heart attack or stroke: *Have you been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease? For men, are you 40 years of age or older and for women, are you post-menopausal? Do you smoke or have exposure to second-hand smoke? Have you been diagnosed with diabetes, prediabetes or metabolic syndrome? e Are you taking medications to treat high blood pressureoris your blood pressure greater than 140/90? Do you have a waist circum- Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller The South Beach “D More than one million Americans a year will have a heart attack or stroke. This book about preven- tion methods may help improve your odds. ference of more than 40 inches if you’re a man and 35 inches if you're a woman? * Do you have a high Calcium Score? Is your HDLor “good”cholesterol level less than 40 mg/dL if you’re a man or less than 50 mg/dL if you’re a woman? Is your LDL or “bad” cholesterol level more than 130 mg/dL? * Do you have a family history of early heart disease? e Are your triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dL? Is your fasting blood glucose greater than 100 mg/dL? Is your homocysteine level of more than 12 pmol/L? Is your level of C-reactive protein (CRP) more than 3 mg/L? * Do you spend less than 2 hours a week doing exercise? * Do you eat fish twice a week? heart scan, a noninvasive procearteries. Also ask about advanced blood testing, which can determine whether you have dangerous small, dense LDL and HDL cholesterol particles, elevated C-reactive protein (a markerfor inflam- mation), and/or high homocysteine levels, another predictor of heart attack. Using the results of such advanced tests can help your doctor develop an aggressive prevention program thatis right for you. “The South Beach Heart Program”outlines all of these tests to help you understandtheir significance and develop an action plan with your doctor. Arthur Agatston, M.D., is a car- diologist and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He lectures extensively on prevention. The doctor also maintains a full-time cardiology practice in Miami Beach. “The South Beach Heart Program: The 4-Step Plan That Can Save Your Life” is published by Rodale and is available wherever booksaresold.
