Heart Ache
I am perhaps the luckiest guy on the planet. Oh, there are those that have more wealth, charm, and better looks, but I still top them. There are others who win big in Vegas, enjoy hedge fund size salaries, or have a stable of trophy wives. But those things aren’t the measure of my good fortune. No, my luck is different. In fact, my good fortune isn’t new. It struck 61 years ago.
Readers of this blog will know that I was born with a defective heart. I had a hole between the two chambers of my heart and as a result I was a blue baby – my heart couldn’t pump enough oxygenated blood through my body to keep me pink. You may think that was bad luck, but I see it differently. Had I been born any earlier or in another part of the world my story would have been far different. So being born in the right place, at the right time was a stroke of luck.
I came into the world just as a pioneering surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto was working with doctors in Boston to develop techniques that would save my life. Dr. William Mustard was a remarkable physician and a pioneer in both cardiac procedures and the treatment of polio. He performed lifesaving heart surgery on me in October 1969. Once again lady luck smiled on me as, unlike many others who had similar issues, I had an amazing result and have led a full life. However, that condition and surgery has shaped and influenced my entire life. I’m constantly aware of my heart and its system.
I’m not the only one who should be concerned over issues of the heart. It is something we must all be alert to. You see, heart disease is the single largest cause of death in North America. In terms of pure risk, your chances of suffering some sort of cardiac issue or stroke are far greater than any other disease or accident. One in four people living in the west will succumb to heart disease. Those are great odds if you’re betting on your favorite sports team, but we’re talking about your life. This is serious stuff!
Why am I bringing all this up? Outside of it being an issue of life and death for everyone, February is heart month. The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada and the American Heart Association raise the bulk of their funding during February. These two remarkable organizations help pioneer lifesaving research that saves lives daily. For example, many instances of infant heart defects can now be repaired in vitro – that’s right, before the baby is even born. Another brilliant example of their work is a procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) which is exactly what it sounds like – they replace your aortic valve through a catheter. They literally send a catheter through your femoral artery in your groin and implant a new valve. That’s like repairing the engine on your car without opening the hood. Oh, and using a straw to do it. Simply remarkable.
Another example played out in living rooms across North America as an NFL player was brought back to life on the field thanks to training and techniques fostered by these organizations. But Damar Hamlin is the exception, the bulk of those who benefit from their research are everyday people like you and me (okay especially me). A gift to one of these organizations is a gift to us all because chances are, you or someone you know will suffer from heart disease or stroke. It’s not an “if” but a “when”. The numbers are clear – 77.5 percent of men and 75.4 percent of women aged 60 to 79 have some form of cardiovascular disease. And it only grows worse as you grow older.
The single biggest weapon in the battle against heart disease and stroke is prevention. Both the AHA and the H&S Foundation work ceaselessly to get the message across that 80% of heart disease and stroke can be avoided through decidedly low tech, simple ways. In fact, I probably don’t need to tell you what they are…. I’m positive you already know. In case you forgot, the key to preventing most heart disease and strokes is through lifestyle (aka: exercise and diet). Believe it or not, what we eat and what we do (or in the case of exercise what we don’t do) is killing us. Switch to a health promoting diet and start to exercise regularly and suddenly we swing the odds back in our favor.
This stuff is simple. In fact, it’s so simple that it’s simple not to do. I know first-hand because I haven’t been perfect (do as I say, not as I’ve done). I’ve had periods where I’ve been a heart attack waiting to happen. However, through my ebb and flow between fitness and fatness and back again the number one lesson I’ve learned is: an apple a day will keep the doctor away but you gotta eat that apple. Preventing heart disease and stroke is about doing the simple things (diet and exercise) and doing them consistently (every day). You can’t save the apples up and eat them all on one day and hope for the same result. You must be consistent in your positive actions.
It really doesn’t take much exercise to protect yourself from these ailments. A daily 20-minute walk (with intent) is a great start. As for food, those rules are simple too. Eat mostly natural foods that haven’t been processed. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and less meat. In a recent blog I went through the virtues of the Mediterranean diet which is extremely heart healthy and easy to follow (How the mighty have fallen…or is that fattened). Both the AHA and H&S Foundation have food guidelines for reference. It is all simple stuff which any of us can do. To steal a famous slogan – Just do it!
Today, I just do it. It ensures my position as the luckiest guy around, although Damar is a close second. I do a little exercise every day. I eat a heart healthy diet. And in February I write a check to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. It’s my hope that you’ll do the same.
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