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DEL.ICIO.USHealth and Fitness Myth #1: All You need is a Cholesterol Screening or Stress Test to Determine You are at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is my first health and fitness myth, versus the regular weight loss and fitness myths I typically have been covering. Even though you may not be “overweight,” you can still be vulnerable to certain health risks.
When I get a new client, one of the things I have them do is complete what as known as a health history questionnaire. As a matter of fact, I have them complete more than one. Each of which is pertinent in determining what is the best course of action (if any taken at all) for prescribing exercise.
Some of the questions asked are related to your risks of having a cardiac event while doing exercise. For example, one of the questions asked is, “is your LDL cholesterol greater than 100 mg/dL?” It’s really kind of interesting, but most people have no idea. However, even if you do have high cholesterol, most likely your doctor would have you taking some kind of medication to take it down. If you’re a certain age, your doctor may have you take a stress test. So long as the results are negative, you’ll be considered to have a clean bill of health. However, is that enough?
Recent studies show that it probably isn’t enough. You can have cardiovascular disease and not even know, even if your blood cholesterol and stress test are within the guidelines. If you’re wondering how this is possible, let me explain.
Damage to the arteries in the heart can occur regardless of the amount of cholesterol levels. As much as 50% of arteriosclerosis cannot be explained by diet, smoking, or lifestyle. Most sudden cardiac event deaths are attributed to blockages in the arteries at as little as 50% occluded. In regards to the stress test, the stress test doesn’t even recognize that there is a problem until the artery is 75% occluded. Therefore, if you are at high risk at 50% occlusion, you can be in a whole lot of trouble and the stress test won’t even pick it up. If those statistics don’t alarm you, listen to this one. More than a quarter (that is 25%) of those who recognize having heart disease results in sudden death. That’s not a good way to find out!
So, what do you do? Much in the same way that I explain that weight isn’t enough to determine one’s physical health, you have to do body fat measurements, do a health history, flexibility tests, etc. The same is true in detecting heart disease. Some of the other tests you should take are also non-invasive. These tests include family history, waist-to-hip ratios, looking for C-reactive protein and homocysteines, and most notably a CT scan.
Recently, I have had the pleasure to interview Dr. Robert Superko on my show Fitness Mythbuster, at www.RadioSandySprings.com. He works out of the Fuqua Heart Center located at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Superko is a medical researcher that has been exploring risks associated in the realms of cardiology for the past two decades. At his facility, you can have these tests done at a relative low cost. In some cases Medicare will cover it; however, at this time hardly any insurance programs will cover the costs.
To mention a little more about costs, if it is determined that you have heart disease you will not have to spend as much money on medications. This is the result of alternative treatments such as taking niacin and changing diet, plus incorporating (the dreaded) exercise components. Moreover, if you have a heart attack and survive, think about all the costs involved. Even if you have insurance, there will he a huge price to pay. As it is said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
If you want to learn more about the services at the Fuqua Heart Center, you can call 404.605.5003 and ask for Brenda Garrett. You can also go to www.FuquaHeartCenter.com to learn more. From what I understand, there are satellite programs throughout the USA. They can explain a heck of a lot better than I can about all of the programs that they offer and why they work.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Health
Comments
By E. Lewis
August 14, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this
Biggest myth:
Thin means healthy.
While obesity is clearly a health problem, one should not make the assumption that because one does not appear to be overweight, it means they are healthy.
Appearance can be deceiving. Just ask any anorexic or a relatively thin person who controls their weight be not eating or eating poorly. It is possible to have a decent body weight and high body fat at the same time.
By mc
August 14, 2006 02:33 PM | Link to this
The bottom line to a long and healthly life is EXERCISE, EAT WELL,( Iam not saying you can’t eat chickem wings every once and awhile) BUT, OBSOLUTELY NO SMOKING.
Your bad genetics or (90%) of them, can be controlled!!
By mc
August 14, 2006 02:34 PM | Link to this
The bottom line to a long and healthly life is EXERCISE, EAT WELL,( Iam not saying you can’t eat chickem wings every once and awhile) BUT, OBSOLUTELY NO SMOKING.
Your bad genetics or (90%) of them, can be controlled!!
By mc
August 14, 2006 02:35 PM | Link to this
The bottom line to a long and healthly life is to EXERCISE, EAT WELL,( Iam not saying you can’t eat chickem wings every once and awhile) BUT, OBSOLUTELY NO SMOKING.
Your bad genetics or (90%) of them, can be controlled!!
By John
August 14, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this
Good article…
I’ve been a runner for over 30 years, have 6% body fat, don’t smoke, eat extremely well…but my LDL is still 128…fortunately, all the exercise gives me a very high HDL level which helps to balance out the “bad”. I can add to that a thin, non-smoking grandfather who had his first heart attack at 44 (and a second fatal one at 55) and a mother…on the same side…with her own cardiac problems.
So I plunked down the out-of-pocket expense for a cardiac ct scan and was relieved to have a score of zero.
Bad genes suck no matter how good your attitude is about health…but Kelly’s advice is well taken…making uninformed assumptions about your own health…in lieu of better testing…can be fatal.
By not surprised
August 14, 2006 03:08 PM | Link to this
Health and Fitness Myth Number 2: People find a discussion about their health more important than blogging about Kelly Whoever or some other prematurely gray, bloated, goofball singer on American Idol. You’d have required the services of a fulltime programmer to handle all of the blogs if this column had been about that show. But an excellent intro about health screenings? One reply all day. Sorry - had to vent.
Unfortunately, much of the public is not concerned about ways to improve their health until it is too late. Kelly, great piece. This would have been a good forum to trade tips from the public on diet, exercise, tests they’ve had, and other things people have done BEFORE committing to a lifetime of statins. I am a 45-year-old male, 155 lb, and was told by my doctor to lower my cholesterol from 219 within 3 months or face a future on Lipitor. Between internet research and periodicals such as Men’s Health Magazine, I knocked off 30 points by changing my diet alone, while maintaining the same levels of physical activity…basketaball and running.
Maybe this will be a start of a little local Atlanta dialog about health and what you can do, or what you have done to repair and maintain the only body you’ve been given. And if you must, (groan) please watch American Idol while on a treadmill, not your couch ;>
By Bella
August 15, 2006 08:19 AM | Link to this
Most Americans are severely deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Whether you get them through supplements, fish, flaxseed, etc., please do make it a priority. It can make a big difference in your C-reactive protein levels.
Oh yes, and be sure to eat right & exercise…
By Exercise Physiologist
August 15, 2006 08:24 AM | Link to this
Good article. It’s sad that treatment of CVD has outstripped prevention. Our system is backwards. We reward providers (with fat checks) for treating a disease rather than preventing it.
By runningrachel
August 15, 2006 08:37 AM | Link to this
The New York Times (sorry AJC) had a fascinating article very recently about people process calories differently than expected. For instance, Person A could eat a 250 calorie muffin and extract less than 250 cal from that serving. Person B could eat the same muffin and extract MORE that Person A. So it’s a myth that if two people are on the same exact diet, with the same exercise regime, that they’ll experience the same type of weight loss. It’s kind of disappointing that your body might have some hidden mechanisms to sabotage a carefully planned calorie regime. Oh well. The article is titled “Fat Factors” and was published online on August 13, 2006. Check it out. You’ll be surprised.
By Stinky Sullivan
August 15, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this
By Phillip Crone
August 15, 2006 01:14 PM | Link to this
I actually wrote a book regarding this subject. Most of us can agree that being healthier can lead to a greater potential in our lives, because what good is success if we aren’t healthy enough to enjoy it. I break life down into 2 camps, things we can control and things we can’t control. I can control how much I exercise, what I eat, how much I sleep and probably most importantly to me how I will react to certain things like idiots and issues out of my control. Those things we can’t control we just have to deal with and make the best of. Get the ball rolling in your life in the proper direction, not in the wrong direction by “creating” most of your problems like obesity and lung cancer etc… www.phillipcrone.com
By Kelly Huggins
August 17, 2006 09:11 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the feedback and wonderful new resources to research.
Kelly