Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/101642
the faMIlY connectIon A positive family history is the biggest factor in determining risk for heart disease or stroke. Even active people can suffer a stroke or heart attack at a young age if they have a family history of either condition. ���Genetics may predispose one to inflammation, which can lead to increased accumulation of cholesterol, or plaque, in blood vessels,��� says Mahmoud Sharaf, MD, FACC, FRCPC, Interventional Cardiologist at Eau Claire Heart Institute. hearts aquIver Atrial fibrillation (AF), a heart rhythm disorder in which the heart quivers instead of beating properly, is a major risk factor for stroke. People with AF are at a higher risk because the condition causes blood to pool in the heart. This pooled blood may cause a clot that breaks off and travels to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Transient ischemic attacks, or mini strokes, may also occur if a small piece of a clot breaks off, causes a blockage, and then dissolves. Effective preventive treatment for AF is available via rhythm control and rate control management techniques. ���Rhythm control seeks to convert the heart back to normal, or sinus, rhythm. Rate control accepts that a person is in AF and doesn���t try to alter that, but provides control of the heartbeat so the person feels better due to a more normal heart rate,��� says Dr. Sharaf. ���Regardless of which strategy is used, blood thinners are required to reduce the risk of stroke.��� As with many medical conditions, early detection and management are essential to good outcomes for persons with AF. Some symptoms might be silent and only found by a healthcare professional. ���If you should experience an irregular pulse but have not many other symptoms, you should see your primary care provider for an EKG,��� says Dr. Sharaf. ���However, being in distress requires going to the emergency department.��� > to learn more about risk factors, visit sacredhearteauclaire.org/healthy-lifestyles. Control the Controllable One of the biggest steps you can take to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke is to address your controllable risk factors. If you have high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, or high blood pressure, or if you smoke, have diabetes, don���t regularly engage in physical activity, or are overweight, you should make the changes necessary to reduce your chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke. Want to participate in a quick evaluation of your risk for heart disease or stroke? Sacred Heart offers two easy ways to get an idea of your heart health online. Visit sacredhearteauclaire.org/healthaware to take our seven-minute Stroke Aware and Heart Aware assessments. If your tests show potential problems, a member of our staff will contact you to provide information about screenings available from Sacred Heart. ���It���s never too soon to protect yourself with good health habits. Take control of your body before your body takes control of you.��� ���Jeannie pittenger, Rn, CnRn, stroke program Coordinator at sacred heart hospital 5 saC R ed h e a Rte au C l a i r e .o rg sac r ed h e a rte au c l a i R e .o Rg ���People on the blood-thinning medication Coumadin�� who start taking antibiotics or adding green vegetables to their diets should make their physician aware of these changes and have their international normalized ratio levels checked. If those patients get a lot of vitamin K, they may be at risk of developing blood clots.��� Coumadin is commonly prescribed for people with heart disease, according to Dr. McDonald. Blockages in blood vessels allow platelets to adhere to vessel walls, potentially forming clots. While Coumadin works by preventing the platelets from sticking, excessive amounts of vitamin K work against it by thickening the blood.