Rehabilitating Your Heart
A Presentation of the Department of
Cardiology of the Mount Pleasant
Regional Hospital
If you have heart disease, you’re
not alone.
 Over 1.5 million
Americans have heart
attacks every year.
 Americans spend more
money are heart
disease than any other
illness—$80 billion per
year.
 More people die of
cardiovascular disease
than from all other
causes of death
combined.
What Is Heart Disease?
 Atherosclerosis:
Aorta
hardening and clogging
of the arteries.
Superior Vena
 Heart attacks and Cava
angina pectoris are Right Atrium
caused by
Right Coronary Artery
atherosclerosis of the
coronary arteries
Pulmonary Trunk
Left Atrium
Anterior
Inetventric
ular Artery
Normal Artery
Diseased Artery
What Causes Heart Disease?
 Genetics and other things we can’t control
 Smoking
 Obesity
 Hypertension (high blood pressure)
 Inactivity (sedentary lifestyle)
 Excess stress and tension
How Can You Rehabilitate Your
Heart?
 Diet
 Exercise
 Stress Management
 Substance
Management
 Medications
Dietary Guidelines
 Eat a low-fat diet (10-30% of calories from fat)
 Avoid foods with cholesterol
 Eat 3–5 servings of vegetable group daily
 Eat 2–4 servings of fruit group daily
 Eat 6–11 servings of grain group daily
 Eat more fish and less red meat
Exercise Guidelines
 Type: Use large muscle groups (legs):
walking, hiking, biking, skating, jogging,
dancing, kick-boxing, etc.
 Duration: 20 to 60 minutes
 Frequency: At least 3 times per week
 Intensity: Get heart rate up to 60 to 80% of
maximum. Max = 220 – Age in years
Stress Management Guidelines
 Promote informal social activities with family
and friends
 Manage your time wisely
 Take time to rejuvenate
 Be kind but assertive
 Apply relaxation techniques
 Meditate and/or pray
Substance Management Guidelines
 Avoid smoking
 Reduce or omit caffeine
 Reduce alcohol consumption
Prescription Medications
 Cholesterol and triglyceride lowering drug,
e.g., Lipitor (Atorvastatin)
 Blood thinning drug, e.g., Plavix (Clopidogrel)
 Blood pressure lowering drug, e.g., Lotrel
Recommended Over-the-Counter
Drugs
 Baby aspirin (to help thin the blood)
 Vitamins C and E (antioxidants to prevent
arterial wall damage)
 Multivitamins (to improve overall health)
Bibliography
 Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing
Heart Disease, Random House, New York,
1990.
 Big Book of Healthy Family Dinners, Better
Homes and Garden, De Moines, 1999.