by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

You don’t have to be a former bypass patient or have suffered from a heart attack to apply preventive techniques to reduce your risk for coronary heart disease. Heart attack, a consequence of heart disease, often strikes people as they age. But coronary heart disease doesn’t develop overnight. Atherosclerosis originates from the Greek words athero (meaning gruel or paste) and sclerosis (hardness). It is a process which involves the gradual build-up of fatty tissue inside artery walls. Risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol can damage coronary arteries or cause a build-up of fatty deposits. “The biggest challenge is for individuals to make modest changes to their lives,” said Jeanne Houser, R.N., MUSC Cardiac Rehabilitation. “Although creating a contract and choosing a goal are important, the hardest step is making a lifestyle change.” 1. Make a contract. Creating a contract puts your commitment in writing. This helps individuals define a goal and outline steps to reach it, said Houser, who along with Judy Vincent, R.N., conducts cardiac rehabilitation classes for MUSC patients. A good example would be to pick a goal which focus on one of the major heart disease risks such as smoking. Other contracts can be added later. Although creating a goal list is very important, outlining the steps to achieve these goals, risk factors and target are vital to its success. (She emphasizes how a person's focus must continue on a regular basis in regards to diet and exercise.) “It truly is a lifetime commitment,” said Houser. 2. Keep Records. Try to record all activities which help recognize habits. It’s a good idea to keep an exercise record which can help in motivation and work progress. Note times spent for exercising and the length of each workout. Work up to three to five times a week. During exercise, keep a target heart rate for at least 30 minutes. 3. Substitute Behavior. As risk factors are identified, substitute healthier habits for unhealthy ones. Begin with small changes: substitute crunchy carrots for potato chips; low-fat flavored yogurt for ice cream. “Basically, we keep coming back to what’s been the foundation for years,” said Houser. “It's still the tried and true. We know that dietary modifications are important for healthy control of blood cholesterol.” 4. Reward Yourself. Develop a plan for reward. Change isn’t easy. Although meeting a goal is enough reward, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to give yourself an extra pat on the back. “Primary prevention is certainly more desirable. The function of education is getting the word out and making people aware at an early age. Studies show that atherosclerosis can begin as early as in our teen-age years and people should be aware of risk factors that may contribute to this process,” said Houser. “Finally, don’t expect yourself to be totally perfect,” said Houser. “Allow yourself forgiveness in meeting your goals. The important thing is to keep going.” Editor's note: Information from article was reprinted from the American Heart Association's booklet, “Stripping Away the Barriers to a Healthy Heart.”