Procrastination Will Not Help Prevent A Second Heart Attack

None of us ever set out to have a heart attack, but thinking I’ll Get ARoundToIt, catches up at some point. How many of ua said things like, "Someday I'll stop smoking, start exercising and lose weight," for months or maybe years. Then, one fateful day, a heart attack issues a wake-up call.

There's a silver lining in that dark cloud though. For many of us who have survived one, we get a second chance to live a long and productive life afterwards. The facts are that most people can have a full recovery, and if you change your habits and actively work to control on your risk factors, you can help prevent a second heart attack.

After I got out of the hospital, I was centered on my heart, and it had my complete and undivided attention. My cardiologist talked with me about a cardiac rehabilitation program and how to reduce my risks going forward:

I wasn’t a smoker to begin with so I didn’t have to be told to quit smoking, but he did caution me about second hand smoke. If I did smoke I know that there are many programs and ways to stop smoking, including nicotine-replacement products and other medicines.

One of my biggest challenges was to manage my weight. My body mass index (BMI) was 30 and waist circumference was 36. My goal was a BMI of less than 25 and a waist circumference of less than 40 inches, a woman aims for a 35. At 5”10 and 212 lbs I still had a way to go. I had to lose weight, exercise, cut back on salt, increase fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. I now have more greens, 1% milk, and low fat cottage cheese, in my diet.

Another goal of rehab is regular exercise. I exercised six days a week for an hour for the first two months. Most people should get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, five to seven days a week. Include resistance training twice a week. Examples include working out with weights or doing sit-ups or push-ups. While in rehab I had a team of nurses to monitor my progress before I would increase my routine.

Another area of concern for me was managing my diabetes. I still have to work constantly to keep it under control. My goal was and is to keep A1C levels, which is basically a 3 month average of blood sugar levels, to less than 7 percent. Right now I am at 8.6

My blood pressure also needed to stay low. This goal was to stay under 130/80 mm Hg. If I didn’t have type II diabetes it would be 140/90.

My cholesterol had to be controlled also. My LDL, or what I refer to as "lousy" cholesterol, needed to be less than 100 mg/dl. If your doctor looks at your overall risks, they may recommend an even lower goal. To do this I had to watch how many saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol I ate, and increased my fiber. I started taking Lipitor along with a weight loss program and exercising 6 times a week.

Finally, my doctor recommend taking a daily 85mg aspirin, and a flu shot every year to lower your risk of pneumonia and other flu-related complications.

The point of all this is that old proverb “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today”