Spotlight 219 is presented by The Times Media Company and Local 219. We explore what is happening around Northwest Indiana
Heart care builds on itself throughout a lifetime. This means that an issue you monitored in your 20s shouldn't go away when you enter your 30s. Being aware of preventive heart care and keeping up with personal heart health ensures a person can receive the help they need early.
Doctors across Northwest Indiana gave their opinions on what they believe individuals should focus on when it comes to heart health across different ages. They agreed that while individual medical needs matter to the frequency in which someone needs to see a cardiologist, there's no set age on when heart care should start. The younger a person starts focusing on heart health, the better.
Gerri C. Browning, MD, the chief medical officer at Edgewater Health, urged people to regularly monitor basic predators of heart care. The three B's Browning said to look out for are blood pressure, blood glucose and blood cholesterol, with a fourth predictor being weight/obesity.
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As a person comes into their 20s, he recommends annual checkups as the three Bs and weight begin to shift. If no abnormality is found, regular visits should stay at least yearly. However, if an issue has been identified, a doctor should be consulted to determine the best course of action. Initial screenings like an EKG or echocardiogram can take place before potential further testing.
Dr. Faheem Ahmad, MD, a cardiologist with the Franciscan Physician Network, emphasized building on heart care over a lifetime. While there's no set age for a person to start seeing a cardiologist for the first time or regularly, individual risk plays a role in choosing what's best for an individual.
"Preventative heart care should start at 20 or earlier and (the) goal should be monitoring cholesterol, blood pressure and daily exercise," Ahmad said.
He recommended emphasizing prediabetes and metabolic screening in a person's 30s and then selected screenings for early disease in their 40s. When it comes to prevention, especially for people in their 20s, Ahmad said to avoid vaping, alcohol, smoking and marijuana.
There are some risk factors a person can't prevent, even when heart care starts "from the cradle," Dr. Andre K. Artis, MD, FACC, said. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean care and monitoring are insignificant.
"You can't change your age, you can't prevent yourself from being male or female," Artis said. "You can't do anything about your family history, but the thing that you can do something about (is) making sure that you get quality sleep, at least eight hours a day for most people. Making sure that you're monitoring your vital signs, that you know your numbers, for example, the blood pressure number, the blood sugar number, your cholesterol number, your weight."
The board-certified cardiologist at Edgewater Health encouraged those on medication to continue taking them and use a wearable, such as a smartwatch, to accomplish associated goals. A person's physical environment is also important, Artis said. A stressful environment can help accelerate heart disease as the strong emotion increases blood pressure, heart rate and straining stress hormones. Organs and blood vessels, along with the heart, can be damaged by the circulating hormones.
To help Region residents better understand and stay on top of their heart care, Franciscan Health is hosting a free heart screening event for American Heart Month. The educational Heart to Heart event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Innsbrook Country Club located at 6701 Taft St. in Merrillville.
"Cardiothoracic Surgeon J. Michael Tuchek, DO, FACS, will share information about the importance of patients knowing their blood pressure readings as well as their cholesterol and blood sugar levels and how they can all impact heart health. Dr. Tuchek will also explain the benefits of a heart scan and how individuals can lower their risk of heart disease," Franciscan Health said in a press release.
"The screenings will consist of a finger stick blood test and blood pressure reading with a blood pressure cuff. An 8 to 12-hour fast prior to the screening is recommended for the most accurate results."
Free breakfast and massage chairs will also be available. Pre-registration is required, with attendees being able to register for only the breakfast and presentation or a heart screening, followed by breakfast and presentation. To register, visit the website lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/cjtd23j.
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