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A Healthy Heart
Cardiovascular Health for Men
By Teri Brown
The metabolic syndrome is defined by the presence of three out of four of the following criteria:
- Diabetes with a fasting blood sugar of greater than 110.
- Abdominal obesity with a waist size of greater than 40 inches in men or greater than 35 inches in women.
- Abnormal lipid profile, in particular triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dl or an HDL cholesterol of less than 40 mg/dl in men or less than 50 mg/dl in women.
- High blood pressure with a resting systolic blood pressure of greater than 130 mmHg or diastolic pressure of 85 mmHg.
"The problem with obesity in the United States is now at an epidemic proportion, and many experts believe that obesity will soon surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States," Dr. Santos says.
According to Dr. Santos the risk of heart disease goes up exponentially with the degree of obesity. For instance, being 5 percent overweight increases the risk of heart disease by 30 percent, but being moderately overweight increases the risk by 80 percent, and being overtly obese increases the cardiac risk by 300 percent.
Creating a heart-healthy lifestyle includes many facets, one of which is physical activity.
"It is generally recognized that regular physical activity is associated with better health and lower mortality rates," Dr. Santos says. "Physical activity is also beneficial in maintaining ideal body weight. In smokers who have recently quit, regular exercise has helped these patients to abstain from smoking in the future."
Recommendations from the National Institutes of Health sugest moderate physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes a day, three to five days per week. Activities such as gardening, golfing and hiking are all beneficial as they are both physically challenging and stress reducing.
