Painting of a human heart by Denise Chan. Creative Commons license.

DANSVILLE, NY — Most everybody knows that February is Healthy Heart Month. But how many people really know exactly what it means to have a healthy heart? Is the fact that you’ve never had chest pain or a full-blown heart attack mean that your heart is healthy? Not by a long shot.

Heart disease can be silent. The accumulation of junk (plaque) in the arteries happens very slowly, often with no warning. Then one day, high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels, both risk factors for heart disease, are discovered. Or worse yet, a person has a heart attack, seemingly out of the blue. The sad thing is that heart disease is almost always preventable by living a healthy lifestyle.

The American Heart Association has developed a 7 point list of essentials for having a healthy heart that they call “Life’s Simple 7.” They are being physically active, eating carefully, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, keeping blood sugar at a healthy level, maintaining a good blood pressure and controlling cholesterol. These seven lifestyle factors are key in keeping your heart in the best condition possible.

Throughout the month of February this column will focus on these 7 areas that affect heart health, beginning with maintaining an acceptable blood pressure.

Many people, even those who have high blood pressure, don’t really understand what blood pressure is measuring, let alone what it means if it is high. Blood pressure measures the amount of force that is placed on the arteries as the heart pumps the blood out into the circulatory system. The first number measures the force as the heart is pumping. This is the systolic pressure. The second number measures the pressure when the heart is at rest, or between beats, and is called the diastolic pressure.

A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 (there are those who say 70) or below. This reading generally means that the arteries are in good shape and the heart doesn’t have to work too hard to get the blood moving. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a reading of 140/90 or higher. When speaking of high blood pressure as it relates to heart disease, this reading can indicate that the arteries are not so healthy, they may have plaque built up in them, and the heart has to work harder to get the blood circulating. Prehypertension is defined as having a blood pressure reading of 121-139/81-89. This condition is a warning that if more healthy behaviors aren’t adopted, hypertension may be the next step.

When the blood pressure is high, the extra force exerted on the arteries can cause tiny tears in the normally very smooth lining of each vessel. The body reacts to these tears as it does to any injury; it begins its healing process. That process results in small amounts of scarring. The lining of the arteries is no longer smooth and easy for the blood to traverse. The rough patches are now prime real estate for fatty plaques to begin to form, which further compromises the blood flow.

Adults should have their blood pressure checked at least once a year, more often if there is a family history of hypertension or if there have been readings in the prehypertensive range. A diagnosis of high blood pressure is made if there are several high readings over a period of a few weeks.

Hypertension afflicts one in three American adults. It often has no symptoms. Every adult needs to pay attention to this health threat by having regular blood pressure checks and engaging in a healthy lifestyle.

Future columns this month will address some of the other 6 points in the “Life’s Simple 7” approach to heart health. Stay tuned.