Starting to control cardiovascular risk factors early is your best course, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Heart attacks and dementia are linked, a new Johns Hopkins study shows. Michelle Johannsen, a stroke and cardiovascular expert and study author, says reducing your risk factors even before the first problem starts is the best strategy.

Johannsen: If you're at the lower end of some of these disease states that's when you start having conversations with your doctors about things. So we have updated guidelines now for statin use, for hypertension we even have updated guidelines for maybe when you don't need therapy, like with primary prevention with aspirin. We used to put everybody on aspirin and maybe that's not such a good idea. Increased awareness is one thing I think talking to your physician when you're on the lower end or still you know kind of on the smoldering end of the spectrum is a good indication from this.  :29

Johannsen notes that early control of blood pressure, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and wise dietary choices are most likely to help you avoid disease and disability. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.