Experts offer health advice at Four Seasons

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it doesn't have to be, according to staff at the California Health and Longevity Institute at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village.

"There is so much we can do to screen for this disease," said Dr. Jonathan Cole, Longevity Institute medical director. "Knowing the risks can be a powerful tool to get people to make changes in their lives."

An overview of heart health was given at the hotel on Feb. 19 in honor of American Heart Month. About 60 people ate a hearthealthy lunch while listening to the presentation of medical and nutritional advice on how to avoid cardiovascular problems. The event was a fundraiser for the nonprofit California Heart Center Foundation in Los Angeles.

"We don't have a cure for this disease. We can only treat it, so it's best to prevent it," said Dr. Jignesh Patel, assistant professor of medicine/cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and associate director of the UCLA Heart and Lung Transplant Program.

Statistics

Although heart disease is more prominent in the Western world it's quickly rising in developing countries as well, Patel said. It doesn't help that fast-food chain McDonald's is opening 600 new restaurants in China, he added.

"Cardiovascular disease outpaces AIDS, malaria and cancer," Patel said.

In his talk, Cole presented the following statistics:

•About 70 million Americans have cardiovascular disease.

•Forty percent of all deaths are due to heart disease.

•Someone dies from cardiovascular disease every 33 seconds

•The cost of cardiovascular disease to the United States is $400 billion a year, and $152 billion a year in lost productivity.

•About 500,000 women die from heart disease each year.

•There are more than 1 billion overweight people in the world, an epidemic, Cole said. At least 30 percent of Americans are obese.

"This is atrocious. It's a very scary issue here," Cole said.

Even worse is that childhood obesity is increasing, Cole added. In studies of obese children and teens, risk factors were already evident for cardiovascular disease, including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and abnormal glucose tolerance in children as young as age 2.

"If you raise your children on better diets you are going to prevent them from having heart disease 50 years down the line," Cole said.

Take action

People can address most risk factors by exercising, controlling their diet, not smoking, having annual physical exams and talking to physicians about personal health history.

A person's lean appearance can be misleading, but various tests can determine risk. A body composition test can measure body fat; stress tests can detect blockages large enough to impede blood flow to the heart. Even if results are normal a patient may still have heart disease, Patel said. Heart scans measure coronary calcium scores. The higher the score, the higher the risk.

In making changes, start with diet, Cole advised. Abdominal obesity directly affects heart health. Men should have no more than a 37inch waist circumference, women 31.5-inches, said Patel. Lose weight, increase fish and fiber intake, and reduce sodium.

"Just 5 to 10 pounds of weight loss can have a significant effect on blood sugar," Patel said. "Diets don't work because after two months your body starts getting the weight back on. You have to change your lifestyle."

Stay away from bad fats found in butter, shortening and margarine. Use liquid oils like canola and olive oil instead. Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, herring and sardines slow down the buildup of plaque. Wild Alaskan fish is higher in omega-3 than other forms, but farmed fish raised in the United States, Canada or Chile are also good sources, Lambert said. Or take a mercury-free fish oil capsule or one tablespoon of cod liver oil once a week.

The vitamin E found in nuts, particularly walnuts, is healthy.

"Patients who ate five or more handfuls a week cut their risk by 50 percent," Patel said.

The higher the intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the risk of stroke. Look for "whole grain" on food labels. Patel recommends a glass of wine each day for women and up to two for men. Grapes and grape juice can have the same benefit.

"Our food environment is tremendously hazardous to our health," Longevity Institute Nutrition Director Paulette Lambert said.

Try to limit consumption of red meat, Lambert said.

"If you're going to eat beef, have only 100 percent grass-fed beef," Lambert said. "In general, Americans eat too much protein."

Put grocery money toward organic dairy products rather than organic produce.

"You can wash your produce. Protein you can't wash," Lambert said.

Despite changing diet and exercise, some people still need cholesterol-lowering medication, Patel said.

Baby aspirin and statins are commonly prescribed. Patel stressed the safeness of prescription statins, while acknowledging that there may be side effects for some patients. He warned that the effectiveness of herbal remedies can vary by manufacturer.

"You don't know what you're getting," Patel said.

Exercise is a key aspect of heart health. Patel recommends 30 minutes or more of daily exercise, such as walking, as well as regular strength training to maintain muscles.

"Even small things like taking the stairs at work or brief walks help and make you feel better," Patel said. "Work with your doctor to come up with the right combination of medication, diet and exercise that's right for you."

For more information, visit the websites www.chli.com and www.americanheart.org.