Heart disease is common among people in the United States — and also, often preventable. At Cempa Community Care, we can help you learn about your risk for heart problems and take steps to prevent them.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While it’s a national health problem, it’s also a problem that hits hard closer to home: Tennessee has the sixth-highest death rate from cardiovascular disease.

While heart disease (also called cardiovascular disease) sounds like a single medical condition, it’s actually a group of diseases that affect the heart and the blood vessels around it. That means that Tennesseans are at a particularly high risk of many different medical conditions related to the heart.

The good news is that many heart health problems can be prevented. Wondering how to lower your risk? It starts with understanding how healthy your heart is — and we’re here to help you do that.

Keeping an Eye on Your Heart Health
Heart disease includes blockages in the arteries supplying the heart with blood, heart attack, problems with the heart’s rhythm, and heart failure, among other conditions. While each of these diseases affects the heart in different ways, they share many risk factors.

Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Physical inactivity
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Eating an unhealthy diet
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking

Nearly half of people in the United States have at least one of the “big three” risk factors — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking. You can identify some of your risk factors for heart disease simply by reading through the list, but for others, regular checkups and testing can help keep an eye on your heart.

“Seeing a medical provider regularly is so important,” says Michael Davis, MD, Medical Director at Cempa. “During these appointments, a Cempa provider can suggest tests that show us your heart health numbers, including your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and your blood sugar levels. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are often ‘silent,’ meaning they don’t cause any noticeable symptoms, especially at first, so testing helps us identify those risk factors as early as possible.”

Taking Steps Toward Better Heart Health
Whether you have risk factors or not, protect your heart with some simple steps:

• Don’t smoke. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death, and it damages the blood vessels that supply your heart with blood. 
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fill half your plate at meals with these nutritional powerhouses, which contain antioxidants and vitamins that keep your heart healthy. The rest of your plate should include a serving of lean protein, such as chicken, fish, or beans, and whole grains, such as brown rice.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink. The less you drink, the better. Experts recommend drinking no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men.
• Move your body when you can, as much as you can. Aim to get at least 20 minutes of an activity like brisk walking each day. 
• Think “whole” vs. “processed.” When you’re at the grocery store, choose foods that contain as few ingredients as possible. This can help you avoid unhealthy additives such as saturated fat, added sugar, and excess sodium.

If tests show that you have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, Cempa providers can help you lower your risk by managing those conditions. In some cases, you may need medication to help you get your numbers into a healthy range, but your provider may also suggest changing your habits to lower your numbers naturally.

“Our mission at Cempa is to improve the health of our communities — and we do that one patient at a time,” Dr. Davis says. “When it comes to your heart, we want to help you lower your risk by managing underlying conditions and taking other steps to improve your health. That can include creating a plan to help you quit smoking or connecting you with our dietitian who can help you adjust your eating habits. Together, we can protect your heart.”

Take a step toward a healthier heart today by scheduling a checkup. Visit our website to learn more about our providers or to schedule an appointment.