Nine Ways to Improve Heart Health (and Live Longer)

As vice president and chief medical officer for Cariten Healthcare, Dr. George Andrews is well aware of the fiscal impact of cardiovascular disease -- especially in the aging baby boomer population.

After all, it's the No. 1 health risk, causing about 20 percent of U.S. deaths annually -- about twice what cancer causes, he says.

It's also the leading cause of disability in this country -- and the leading threat to the current health-care system.

"As it is, everyone's projecting the senior population will boom once baby boomers get into the 65-plus" age range, Andrews says. "There are not enough dollars to go around to pay for the care of these seniors. ... You need money for research for new technologies. ... Who is going to afford it if (the financial contribution of) the baby boomers, who have been the most productive generation ... is moving out of the picture?"

As a cardiologist, Andrews is also aware of the human impact of cardiovascular disease.

"If somebody has a heart attack, it basically takes away about 12 years of their estimated lifetime," he says.

But at age 55 -- himself a boomer -- he has faith that members of his generation will take advantage of the fact that there are some risk factors they can reduce.

"This generation ... every year (is) more and more aware and compliant with the recommendations and standards and guidelines" for good health, he says -- though he adds, "We still have a long way to go."

It may be vanity that makes the difference; "Baby boomers like to look good," Andrews says. "They want to stay looking youthful. Plastic surgery is having a booming business."

But even more, "it's not a question of looking good; it's a question of feeling good," Andrews says. "It's not a question of living long; it's a question of living a quality life."

Where heart health is concerned, he's got some advice for doing that.

Stop smoking: It will "absolutely, significantly" reduce the risk of heart disease, Andrews says -- "by half, compared to those who continue to smoke." Even so, he says, he's had patients who continued to smoke after a heart attack or bypass surgery. "I said to them, 'You may not care about yourself, but wouldn't you like to see your grandchildren grow up, and be proud of them, and enjoy them?' That seemed to make an impact."

Take blood-pressure medication if you need it: Doctors call high blood pressure the "silent killer" because people often have it but still feel great, Andrews says. "Patients sometimes have minor side effects and stop the medication because they felt better before (they took the medication). It's difficult for doctors to convince patients to take something when they're already feeling good."

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