By: Dr. Risshi D. Rampersad – Cardiologist | Caribbean Heart Care Satellite Clinics / Caribbean Heart Care Medcorp Ltd.
“Piping problems” in the heart are like coronary artery disease which include blockages of these vessels that supply the oxygen and nutrients to the heart.
In an elderly patient, the heart pump has worked for decades pumping blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the body. This pump unfortunately does not work as effectively as you age and in your later years there may be diseases that affect its function, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes, to name a few.
Sometimes, like an old house, there are piping concerns that need to be fixed as well as electrical problems. “Piping problems” in the heart are like coronary artery disease which include blockages of these vessels that supply the oxygen and nutrients to the heart, and there may be need for repairs to the pipes or even unclogging.
Apart from special medication there are procedures like angioplasty, stenting, and coronary artery bypass surgery that can help in treatment.
Electrical problems may include fast, slow and/or irregular heartbeats which might involve the person needing special medication.
For irregular heartbeats like atrial fibrillation which can cause strokes, identifying and treating is important. Pacemakers are sometimes used to help a slow heartbeat.
Here are some tips:
Exercise
Exercise is a tablet we cannot take. Its help to the heart and body is multifaceted. Exercise can help reduce body weight, control blood sugar, reduce high blood pressure, improve mood build muscle, and help blood circulation throughout the body.
Most cardiology guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, including walking, swimming, and cycling. However, Older patients may not be able to perform at this intensity.
So, with these patients we use aqua aerobics, hand cycles, band exercises, recumbent bike. and even individual physiotherapy programmes.
Sometimes. depending on the physical ability of the aged individual, setting out a walking track with chairs in the living room may help improve their exercise tolerance and mobility.
Management of chronic risk factors
Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are three of the most common risk factors for coronary artery disease. Therefore, control of the blood pressure, blood sugar, and reduction of the blood cholesterol in the elderly is important.
Compliance of their medication prescribed by their doctors and regular blood pressure and sugar testing are useful for adjustment of medication. Cholesterol reduction can be done with focus on diet, exercise, and medication.
Healthy diet and weight management
There is a dietary revolution with many different forms of eating. It is crucial to follow a lifestyle dietary change that is comfortable and can be kept consistent for the elderly individual. The Mediterranean diet has medical evidence to decrease cardiovascular mortality, cancer, and all-cause mortality. There are also some anti-inflammatory properties with the Mediterranean diet. This includes a diet that emphasises the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil.
Limiting saturated fat, such as in fried foods, along with having a low cholesterol diet also help reduce stroke and heart attack.
Note that a combination of exercise and proper diet can increase life expectancy, decrease premature death, and reduce chronic conditions like diabetes.
Weight management and nutrition play an important part in treatment and reduction of cardiovascular diseases. Weight loss interventions, including lifestyle modifications, can be effective in reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.
Compliance of medications
Taking medications on time and daily, especially for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, is one of the keys to reduction of stroke and heart attacks. Many elderly persons may forget to take their medications and these spikes in blood pressure and/or blood sugar levels can sometimes be lethal.
Stop smoking
Smoking is one of the most common modifiable risk factors for heart and vascular disease. This is sometimes difficult to stop in older patients because they think they’ve lived so long being a smoker, why quit? Smoking causes a 3-4 times risk of stroke and heart attack, as well as increases cancer of the lungs and other parts of the body.
Also, second hand smoke affects loved ones and spouses within the range of smokers.
Reduction of alcohol consumption
This guideline has been changing, but at present, reduction of alcohol to one or no drinks a day has been shown to reduce heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Reduction and management of stress
Unfortunately, stress cannot be measured with a blood test. But studies have shown that stress causes an increase in symptoms of heart disease and blood pressure elevations which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Stress can also cause lack of sleep which aggravates heart disease. Encourage stress relieving techniques such an meditation, yoga good sleep, and sometimes benign supplements to assist in sleep such as melatonin.
Regular medical check-ups
Elderly people sometimes have many chronic diseases and these need to be controlled and monitored along with the necessary professional medical advice. These can cause early detection of abnormalities that can be corrected and not cause any deleterious effects on the patient. Taking your loved ones to visit their doctors, be it a general practitioner, nurse, or cardiologist can help maintain good health and result in great recommendations on preserving a good, healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
There are many tips and tricks for caring for elderly hearts. There is also a lot of evidence-based guidance which shows that maintaining a good diet. exercise, body weight, and compliance of medication allows your loved ones to have healthy hearts, live comfortably, and experience a great life in their later years.
For more information email: chcsatclinic@outlook.com
For further information on this topic, you can visit their website: https://cheartcare.com/
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