ARLINGTON, VA-February is American Heart Month. First celebrated in 1964, American Heart Month is a time to increase understanding of heart disease and how to prevent it, as well as to recognize the tireless efforts of clinicians and researchers to advance the treatment of it.
“For me, it means that it brings awareness to our health and diet in terms of what would be an ideal routine to prevent or try to mitigate any risk factors for the development of heart disease, such as heart attacks or heart failure,” said Aditi Bhagat, MD, a cardiologist with Inova who practices at Virginia Heart.
For Dr. Bhagat, this means meeting the pillars of a heart-healthy lifestyle, which include eating healthy, being active, avoiding tobacco, watching cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, monitoring blood pressure and sugar, and having adequate, quality sleep. In terms of eating right, both the American Heart Association and World Health Organization recommend the Mediterranean Diet, which takes more of a plant-based approach instead of a meat-based one, with extra virgin olive oil being a primary fat source.
“It would incorporate vegetables and fruits – about two to three servings of fruits and probably about four servings of vegetables per day – whole grains, high sources of protein-like legumes, fish, nuts, and seafood,” said Dr. Bhagat.
She also stressed the importance of understanding and debunking the myths surrounding a heart-healthy diet. For example, Dr. Bhagat noted that Himalayan salt is touted as being more nutritious than other types of salt, but that is not necessarily true since all salts contain sodium and chloride, which will lead to elevated blood pressure. Regardless of the type, the maximum amount of salt recommended is about three grams per day.
“We’d recommend using herbs and spices rather than additional salt,” she said.
Another myth is that frozen or canned foods are not good for you. In many cases, Dr. Bhagat said they can be, but it is important to check the nutritional labels for the levels of sodium and sugar to determine their health benefit. She also said that egg yolks overall have gotten a “bad reputation” because they are high in cholesterol. While having many eggs on a weekly basis is not something she would recommend, Dr. Bhagat said, “It does not have a significant effect on cholesterol if you have one egg yolk a day or two egg whites per day.”
For exercise, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Ideally, this would be spread throughout the week, such as five 30-minute or five 15-minute workouts, respectively.
“In addition to the aerobic exercise, I would recommend strength training as well, two times a week,” the doctor said.” I think not too much light is put upon that, but especially for patients who are older, I do recommend whether you are a male or a female, that the emphasis be placed upon doing that on a very regular basis.”
A hot topic in medicine these days is the benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs, which include Ozempic and Wegovy. These therapies reduce appetite by imitating the effects of the natural hormone GLP-1 and are used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. If an individual is prescribed a GLP-1 drug, Dr. Bhagat stressed that they cannot take the place of a heart healthy lifestyle.
“I think that these medications are great for a variety of reasons, and there’s still a lot of research to be done, but they definitely have to be used in combination with the exercise and lifestyle changes. It can’t just be a medication alone,” she said.
In moving towards a heart healthy lifestyle, Dr. Bhagat said that “it’s best to start somewhere.” With exercise, it would be difficult for someone who does not work out at all to begin doing so vigorously five days a week, so laying a foundation is critical.
“Maybe just start with walk at a rate of greater than 2.5 miles per hour, which would qualify as moderate exercise,” said Dr. Bhagat
With food, she also recommends starting small with an approach of switching out foods for healthier options. Virgin olive oil can take the place of butter, water can do the same with sugary drinks, whole grain bread can replace white bread, and fish and chicken can be eaten instead of red meats.
“All this takes time and energy and a lot of planning as well, especially when it comes to food prep. Try to food prep over the weekends or whenever you have some free time and also food prep in bulk,” she said.
This report has been updated to correct misspellings and the doctor’s affiliation. We apologize for the errors.
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