Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/HYkk6YqL5iU Death due to congestive heart failure has been on the rise over the past 7 years, and the group most affected is surprisingly those under 65.  A new study from Northwestern University cardiologists looks at CDC epidemiologic data for nearly 48 million Americans from 35 to 84 years of age. The study shows that the trend toward declining death rates from heart failure seen over the past 3 decades is now reversing.  Younger individuals are now more likely to develop heart failure, and the reasons appear to be due to our country’s dual interrelated epidemics of obesity and diabetes.  Middle-aged black men are at a particularly high risk. Heart failure is deadly with outcomes similar to metastatic lung cancer.  The best treatment is prevention by maintaining a healthy weight, keeping your blood pressure under control, and monitoring your cholesterol and lipid profiles.  These goals will be far easier to achieve by eliminating fast food and excessive alcohol. Peter Glynn, Dona