When one of my doctor buddies is asked what to take to avoid heart disease he answers: “I find a good cardiologist, and ask what they do”. So, in honour of heart month, I share here years of research and confessionals: the secret habits of cardiologists. They are culled from 25 years of observations of heart experts from all continents, not just from hospital cafeterias but also scientific meetings, buffet lines, night spots, ski resorts, golf courses and other favourite hangouts of my colleagues.WE WORRYMany of us have a family history of heart disease — this is probably what drove us into the field in the first place, so we worry about this just like you.Most of us drink too much coffee, an old habit from cruising hospital coffee pots — and now the latte machine. Caffeine causes palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms so less is best. Stay with one to two cups in the morning and watch out for the hidden caffeine in soft drinks and chocolate. Luckily, no evidence links coffee with coronary artery blockages.WE TAKE ASPIRINAlmost all of us take daily aspirin because it lowers the risk of a heart attack up to 35%. We take the lowest dose (81 mg) but some studies suggest 162 mgmay be better. You definitely don’t need the full strength dose (325 mg). We have sensitive stomachs (maybe all the coffee) so the enteric-coated brands are easiest to take.FISH OIL, TOOFish oil is a shortcut to eating all that recommended fish, and as Jennifer Sygo recommended on this page earlier this week, omega-3 is the thing to look for. We take up to 1,000 mg twice daily and stick with established vitamin brands. If we get fishy burps that bother our patients, staff or significant others, a good trick is to store the bottle in the freezer. By the time it thaws out, it’s too late to come back up.WE TRY TO EAT WELLWe want the steak and pasta and pizza just like you, but we try to choose fish and lower fat meats (chicken and turkey — you were expecting a miracle?) We try to load up on fibre, which can lower cholesterol and is good for the gut. This means whole grains, brown bread and rice, psyllium-loaded cereals, flax, even Metamucil dissolved in water. And we search for healthy artery-stabilizing antioxidant “magic foods” — blueberries, walnuts, almonds, broccoli, veggies in general (I choke down the V-8 low salt for an easy fix). While most of us confess to trying the Atkins diet (because it was so counterintuitive), we gave it up when we got bad breath and became cranky. Nowadays, we prefer the Mediterranean diet because it is more palatable and sustainable than the severe low fat alternative.WE EXERCISEWe try for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise five times per week (swimming, biking, walking, treadmill or elliptical machine, running if our knees are up to it). We avoid the anaerobic eye-popping, neck-vein-bulging heavy lifting, because we know that makes our blood pressure soar to scary levels.WE TAKE STATINSWe like cholesterol medicines from the statin family and are impressed with studies showing their preventive benefits, particularly if we have other risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes.DIURETICS, TOOThe same goes for blood pressure meds. We know the dark side of untreated hypertension and try very hard to get our blood pressures to normal levels. We take the same drugs that we prescribe to you — diuretics and blood pressure relaxing drugs.WE DRINK A BITWe like the heart benefits of moderate alcohol use (one to two drinks per day). We first thought this only applied to red wine, but now it looks like any alcohol is protective. We are careful not to overdo this one, as we also know that regular higher doses of alcohol can damage the heart muscle.These small daily habits sustained over time add up to lower risk and a healthier outlook. As I often say to my patients: “Now worry about something else!”-Sidney Gottlieb, M.D., is director of Cardiology for Cleveland Clinic Canada (clevelandcliniccanada. com), which offers executive physicals, prevention and wellness counselling and personal health care management in Toronto.
Tags: ada, blood pressure, family, family history, ngo
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