Need 2 Know: Cutting Down Heart Disease 20% by 2020

DAYTON, OH (WDTN) - By the time you finish reading this story, at least one person will have died from a heart attack and four others will have suffered from one. But there is some encouraging news about heart disease. It's called life's simple seven. Here's what you need to know to cut down your risk of heart disease.

For 49-year old Kimberly Ash, working out is part of her weekly routine. But that wasn't the case just three and a half months ago. "I was at work and the whole week I felt like something wasn't going quite right. My body was feeling different." said Ash. And for good reason. Kimberly was suffering heart attack symptoms, including tightness in her chest and throat. "I had become pale very quickly. I had broken out in a cold sweat. And actually had numbness in both my arms from the elbows down." Kimberly was surprised to learn she had an 80 percent blockage of her main artery.

Since then, the changes Kimberly has made to her lifestyle are many of the same recommendations just released by the American Heart Association. Dr. Mukul Chandra is a Preventative cardiologist at Miami Valley Hospital. "For the first time they're (AHA) taking the lead to work with the community. This is not something that happens in the physicians office. This is something that should happen in every home and every school." What Dr. Chandra is talking about is Life's Simple 7. Heart Healthy Guidelines with the goal of cutting down heart disease 20% by the year 2020.
The simple 7 are just that; simple. Never or quit smoking, do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, incorporate a healthy diet consistent with AHA guidelines, maintain a body mass index less than 25%, keep total cholesterol less than 200, have a blood pressure below 120 over 80 and glucose less than 100. "If you have these three metrics and the 4 metrics of health you can have an 87% reduction of heart disease in men and women." says Dr. Chandra.