Dr. Dean Edell: Heart Disease is the number one killer of men and women in the U.S., beating all forms of cancer combined. And stroke doesn't fall far behind in the number three spot. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for both conditions affecting one in four Americans. Here is how innovative treatments and the powerful drug called knowledge can protect you from these silent killers. Meet Sylvia, Ronnie, and Valdina, three very different people with one thing in common. They're all at a high risk for heart disease.
Sylvia Hyatt: I've got - my father passed away last year because of the complications he suffered from the heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. Dean Edell: Sylvia Hyatt knows if she's not careful, she could end up like her dad. Family history and diabetes put her at high risk for heart attack and stroke.
Sylvia Hyatt: I watch what I eat, I try to walk and do what I can. I try to reduce my stress.
Dr. Dean Edell: But not all diabetics are as conscientious as Sylvia.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Diabetes is a very important risk factor for heart disease. In fact, it's a stronger risk factor in women than it is in men.
Dr. Dean Edell: 52-year-old Ronnie Little landed in the high risk category for different reasons. His age and 38-year smoking habit made him a prime candidate for heart disease. Then, a routine physical revealed he was more than just a risk, he was a statistic.
Ronnie Little: They told me I'd had a heart attack. I must have had it in my sleep, because I don't remember having it.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Patients who have existing heart disease are at about seven-fold increased risk of having a heart attack in the future compared to a person who's never had a prior heart attack.
Dr. Dean Edell: 48-year-old Valdina Wiley thought her age kept her safe from having a stroke. Her denial delayed her getting treatment for four days and it cost her the use of her left hand and foot.
Valdina Wiley: That Sunday, I woke up and I was feeling - I felt really strange. I couldn't describe the way I was feeling, but it just didn't feel right. But I thought, well, I'm going to church; today is Sunday, I'm going to church. I'll get prayer. I'll be okay. It didn't go away.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Ethnicity seems to be a major contributor to coronary risk. In fact, Black women have about a 70% higher risk of dying of heart disease compared to white women.
Dr. Dean Edell: Cardiologist Lori Mosca says most women of all races are guilty of mistaking their number one killer.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Women perceive that breast cancer is their leading health threat. The American Heart Association did a survey recently, which showed that only 8% of women cite heart disease as their major health concern.
Dr. Dean Edell: Some of that misconception could be because women tend to have different symptoms than men.
Dr. Puxiao Cen: They may just have some GI discomfort, indigestion, shortness of breath, fatigue; they just don't feel well.
Dr. Dean Edell: And Dr. Puxiao Cen says there's another gender gap.
Dr. Puxiao Cen: Women usually have a 10-year delay in terms of their cardiovascular disease onset, because they are protected by estrogen.
Dr. Dean Edell: Controlling risk factors, like blood pressure and cholesterol, can help dramatically.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Blood pressure control is critical to not only preventing a heart attack, but also reducing the risk of a stroke.
Dr. Dean Edell: Traditional antihypertensive drugs help reduce blood pressure levels. But studies show ACE inhibitors have an added bonus; they act as a kind of bodyguard for the heart.
Dr. Lori Mosca: Very exciting new research has suggested that ACE inhibitors are very effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes, and improving overall chance survival.
Dr. Dean Edell: In a landmark trial called "The Hope Study", the drug, Ramipril, cut the risk of heart attack in high-risk patients by 22% and the risk of stroke by 33%. In diabetics, these ACE inhibitors even helped prevent other complications.
Dr. Lori Mosca: They appear to prevent the loss of protein in the kidney and may actually prevent the kidney damage that occurs with diabetes.
Dr. Dean Edell: Two-thirds of diabetics die from some form of heart or blood vessel disease. That's why this study is so crucial for patients like Sylvia and her family.
Sylvia Hyatt: My concern is of course for my future, as well as for my boy's future. I want to be in their picture. I want to see them get married. I want to see them go to college. I want to see my grand kids.
Dr. Dean Edell: Paula Carney took a more novel approach to her heart health. Along with medication and exercise, she uses music to lower her blood pressure.
Paula Carney: And it's a very, very relaxing and almost mesmerizing.
Dr. Dean Edell: Each day, she straps on this electronic device. A sensor measures her breathing pattern and creates a personalized melody that guides her to slow her breathing rate.
Dr. Henry Black: We learned that if you can learn to breathe deeply, ten times a minute or a less, that you can actually lower your blood pressure.
Dr. Dean Edell: Clinical trials found using the RESPeRATE device 15 minutes a day, help lower blood pressure as much as 10%.
Dr. Henry Black: For the rest of the day and even after you stop using the device we think your blood pressure stays down.
Dr. Dean Edell: A 120 over 80 reading, a vast improvement from Paula's starting point of 210 over 110.
Paula Carney: I am so pleased that I don't know; I just can't say enough about it, because it's worked so well for me.
Dr. Dean Edell: Heart attack and stroke can dramatically change lives. Forced to retired in her 40s, stroke survivor Valdina Wiley hopes for the day she can use her hand and foot again.
Valdina Wiley: Each day is a new day, maybe this is the day, that these fingers start moving and maybe my toes move.
Dr. Dean Edell: And after Ronnie Little's heart attack, he quit smoking, started exercising and eating healthier.
Ronnie Little: I feel like, I have got more energy, because I guess probably I have got more blood going to my heart.
Dr. Dean Edell: By changing your lifestyle, like Ronnie, and loosing 5-10 pounds, you can drop blood pressure by 10 points and get your heart health in gear.
Federal health officials have added a new category called "Prehypertension" to blood pressure guidelines. It means millions of Americans with blood pressure as low as 120 over 80 may also be at risk for high blood pressure and it's complications. Talk to your doctor to understand how these new guidelines affect you.
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