Smartphone Apps Could Reduce Your Risk For Heart Attack, Stroke

A smartphone app could help you live a heart-healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack or developing heart disease.

A new review found people more easily follow a heart healthy lifestyle if guided by internet sites and smartphone apps that can help set and track goals. Dr. Ashkan Afshin was the lead researcher. He is an assistant professor of global health at the University of Washington.

According to the review results, mobile- and internet-based interventions effectively helped improve lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet in the short-tern. The interventions were effective in aiding modest weight loss as well, over a period of three months to a year.

Afshin and his research team analyzed 224 past studies that had been published from 1990 to 2013. They came to the following conclusions:

• People were more active, ate better, lost weight, and used less tobacco and consumed less alcohol if they used internet-based interventions
• People who used smartphone interventions lost weight and exercised more

They found that apps which used multiple methods of communication, such as emails and mobile notifications, and used goal-setting and self monitoring tools were more successful. They also were found to be more effective if they involved some communication with a health care provider.

The apps make it easy to individuals to hold themselves accountable and track their progress. In the past, people have relied on pen and paper, and it is sometimes more difficult to remember to write something down. In addition, pen and paper do not remind you where you started or how far you have to go, without you doing some manual page turning or calculations.

Really, it is all about an individual taking control of their life.

The apps have the added benefit of making it easy for people to share information with their doctors.

If used as a communication tool with your doctor, it can be even more effective at improving your health.

Apps and websites are a cheap alternative for people who struggle to afford a gym membership, personal trainer, dietician, or personalized nutrition plan. While not everyone has access to these things, or even a car to get to a gym, pretty much everyone has a phone.

However, not all apps are created equal. Beware apps that claim to measure blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar. Look for an app that encourages you to exercise and shows you how, in addition to teaching you how much and what to eat. Apps with goal-setting functions and help you stay accountable are best.

Research Shows Heart Health Supports Brain Health

Research continues to mount supporting the idea that a healthy heart supports a healthy mind.

In a recent study, elderly individuals who met more of the seven goals set forth for heart-healthy living thought faster and had less memory and thinking skills decline after six years.

The study’s results underlined the importance of physicians and patients monitoring their heart health factors to ensure the best possible cardiovascular and brain health.

The study, which was published in March 2016 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, involved more than 1,000 people who averaged 72 years of age. About 65 percent were Hispanic, 19 percent black and 16 percent white.

Participants were evaluated on how closely they met “Life’s Simple Seven,” which guidelines created by The American Heart Association for heart-healthy living.

Life’s Simple Seven includes:

• Managing blood pressure
• Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
• Reducing blood sugar levels
• Maintaining an active lifestyle
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Abstaining from smoking

Fifteen percent met only one goal of the seven, 33 percent met two, 30 percent met three, 14 percent met four, 4 percent met five, and only 1 percent met six of the seven goals. No participants met all seven. And 3 percent did not meet a single goal.

Researchers tests participants’ brain-processing speeds and memory skills at the beginning of the study. Six years later, 722 participants repeated the tests. The researchers found that the individuals who were heart healthier also had better brain-processing speed at the start of the study and showed less deterioration at the six-year follow-up tests.

This suggests vascular health could be important to cognitive performance and decline with aging. But it should be noted the study proved only an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship.

Study: Heart Attack Patients Trending Fatter, Younger

Although doctors know more now than ever about preventing heart attacks, that does not ensure people follow their advice.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, patients who are treated for heart attacks are growing younger and are increasingly obese. Researchers also found smoking rates increased from 28 to 46 percent among heart attack patients, although the national average had declined over the same time period.

These conclusions were not what the researchers had expected to find when they reviewed data for the 3,900 patients. The data had been gathered from 1995 to 2014.

They divided patients into four groups that represented a five-year period. Between the first and last groups, the patients' average age fell from 64 to 60, and the percentage of obese patients rose from 31 to 40 percent.

On average, patients were also sicker. Thirty-one percent had diabetes, compared to 24 percent. However, the researchers did not have socioeconomic data points, and all the data was from one hospital. Therefore it's not possible to know whether these statistics would apply nationwide.

Nonetheless, the data is sobering. The lesson from the research is that healthcare providers must do even more, probably more than ever before, to promote heart attack prevention and overall heart health. This includes advocating for healthier lifestyles, more exercise, and better diets.

Prevention is key and should be at the forefront of primary care.

Heart health shouldn't just depend on a cardiac specialist. Primary care physicians and their patients should all take ownership of their health and the growing problem of obesity and heart attacks.

As a doctor, advocate for good choices that will aid in preventing heart attacks, stroke, or weight gain. As a patient, do not wait for illness or declining health to see you doctor. Establish a healthy relationship with your doctor, and take care of yourself to ensure a long, happy, healthy life. Work to avoid heart disease entirely, not to treat it after diagnosis.