Apple
vs. Pear Shape...relationship
of body shape and heart disease explored
(BETHESDA,
MD) – Eating an apple is infinitely better than looking like one,
according to experts at the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
Humor aside, research has drawn significant links between body shape
and heart disease. The American College of Cardiology is hoping to
reshape America by highlighting this new health data on World Heart
Day.
"People
whose fat collects around the waist - the classic apple shape - are
at higher risk of heart disease than their pear-shaped counterparts,
whose weight collects around the hips," said Roger S. Blumenthal,
M.D., F.A.C.C., director of The Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for
the Prevention of Heart Disease. "The majority of heart disease is
preventable."
This
September 25th marks the fifth annual World Heart Day with a theme
of "Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape." The effort will focus on
preventive measures and seeks to remind people of the risks leading
to cardiovascular disease.
Dr.
Blumenthal added, "Cardiovascular disease is often not optimally
managed. Often physicians could do a better job of motivating
patients to improve their lifestyle habits."
World
Heart Day provides a simple start to understanding the personal risk
of heart disease, according to Blumenthal. "Where does your body
collect fat? Is your body shape more like an apple or a pear?"
According
to the ACC official guidelines for assessing the risk for
cardiovascular disease, several factors are critical:
·
cigarette smoking of any amount
·
elevated blood pressure
·
elevated LDL cholesterol
·
diabetes mellitus
·
advancing age
· obesity
·
physical inactivity
"Good
health doesn't just happen. It takes work and awareness of one's
habits," said Pamela Douglas, M.D., F.A.C.C., and president of the
ACC. "Putting forth that effort to avoid heart disease is far
preferable to dealing with its consequences. World Heart Day has
proven to be an effective way to put a spotlight on the importance
of prevention and the actions that all of us can take to keep our
hearts healthy."
The ACC
encourages individuals to work with their personal physicians to:
· manage
blood pressure
· stop
smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
· control
the intake of calories
·
increase exercise to at least 30 minutes for three or four days each
week, with an ideal goal of daily exercise
· manage
co-existing medical conditions, like diabetes.
###
World
Heart Day is sponsored globally by the World Heart Federation and
supported nationally by the American College of Cardiology. The ACC
web site is
www.acc.org.
The World
Heart Federation, an NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the global
sponsor of World Heart Day. Web links are
www.worldheartday.com and
www.worldheart.org.
The ACC is
a 56-year-old professional medical society and teaching institution,
representing more than 33,000 cardiovascular specialists worldwide.
It fosters optimal cardiovascular care and disease prevention
through professional education, promotion of research, leadership in
the development of standards and guidelines and the formulation of
healthcare policy.
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