For Longevity pay attention to your heart

One of the burning questions of my generation is whether we actually do want to live forever. Personally, I haven't decided that one. But until I do, I will try whatever I can to give myself enough time on this earth to ponder that deep question.

And if I am serious about this goal, I need to be kind to my heart.

After all, cardiovascular disease is our No. 1 killer, claiming almost a million Americans yearly. The latest news is how deadly it can be for women, accounting for one in five of their deaths.

Thankfully, coronary artery disease (CAD) doesn't usually hide behind a creepy hockey mask. The risk factors are right out there and we know them well: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. As many as 95 percent of folks who die from a heart attack or stroke will have had one of these familiar risk factors.

But this isn't all she wrote. We all know of those who have had a heart attack and didn't qualify for any of these well known risk factors.

In the last two Healthspan columns, I have been reporting on some interesting new early warning signals of potentially lethal diseases -- biomarkers and precursor illnesses -- and, fortunately, CAD has both.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a heart risk biomarker that is creating quite a buzz. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association teamed up to pronounce it as a promising assessment tool for CAD.

Measured by a simple blood test, an elevated CRP reading signals inflammation in the body. This is important, where CAD is concerned, as inflammation is implicated in forming artery-clogging plaque. An elevated CRP can double a person's risk of a coronary event, and considerably worse for those who have already suffered a heart attack.

Before you crown CRP as the Cassandra of heart disease, be aware that there is controversy. Experts will tell us that CRP is a nonspecific marker of inflammation and could result from many other diseases. The American Heart Association doesn't recommend testing for everyone, only those with an "intermediate risk." (You can check out your risk at http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/

atpiii/calculator.asp?usertype=

pub. Or better still, ask your doctor.)

As for the precursor illness for CAD -- metabolic syndrome -- there is more agreement that it is clearly associated with cardiovascular disease.

Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of five symptoms; if you have three of the five, you win the diagnosis

They are: Low "good" cholesterol (HDL), less than 40; high blood pressure, north of 135/85; high blood sugar; and high triglycerides.

The fifth symptom is the most easily recognizable: a big ole tummy. That means a waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men or 35 inches for women.

As any stroll down the Las Vegas strip will tell you, metabolic syndrome is on the rise. An estimated 47 million U.S. adults have it. Some experts predict that at least half of those over age 60 will be guilty as charged.

The good news here is that metabolic syndrome (and therefore the prevention of heart disease and diabetes) is highly treatable when dealt with up front: lose weight, exercise more and eat a diet that is lower in carbs.

These simple lifestyle adjustments will not only melt that belly fat but allow your heart to beat longer and stronger, giving you more time to ponder those deep philosophical questions.

Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh, a Cape Girardeau native, is a clinical psychologist who lives and works in Santa Barbara, Calif. Contact him at mseabaugh@ semissourian.com.