"It's Never to Late to Get Heart Healthy"
Senior Focus - October 1997
The risk for heart failure increases dramatically after age 75, but that does not mean it is too late to prevent heart disease.
According to experts at Baylor College of Medicine’s Huffington Center on Aging in Houston, even if you are older than 75, exercising and eating right can have a major impact on decreasing your heart-disease risk. But the earlier in life you start, the better.
Coronary-artery diseases, such as atherosclerosis (artery blockage), often take up to 40 years or more to progress to a heart attack. As with high blood pressure, heart disease is not necessarily a natural part of aging.
Keeping blood pressure in check is one of the most important steps in reducing heart-disease risk. It also offers protection against strokes. The key is making healthful lifestyle choices, such as eating low-salt, low-fat and low-cholesterol foods, exercising and not smoking.
Recent studies have shown that sedentary older adults who gradually add physical activity to their lifestyle can significantly improve cardiovascular performance. Walking, water-based exercise programs and dancing are excellent ways to raise your activity level and improve blood circulation and overall health.
Before beginning any exercise program, however, all adults over 40 should see a doctor and inquire about a stress test. It is also important to know the warning signs of a heart attack:
 | Chest discomfort spreading to the neck, shoulders and arms |
| Sweating, nausea and shortness of breath |
| Dizziness or fainting. |
By educating yourself about heart disease and consulting a doctor about the proper exercise and activity choices, you can have more control over the risk factors that contribute to heart disease as you age.
