Health

20 HE ALTH • Summer 2021 L ast summer at Rick Agbay's annu- al checkup, his doctor broke tough news: Agbay's cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels were elevated, and he needed to go on medication. The Worcester resident received a follow-up call from a nurse case man- ager at his Medicare plan, who asked if he wanted to make diet changes to improve his health. Agbay enthusiasti- cally agreed: "I knew I needed to do something," he said. Agbay had phone consultations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mass. dieti- tian Nancy Dowling, who taught him about the foods to help manage his conditions. By November, Agbay had lost 10 pounds, his bloodwork revealed his cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels had gone down, and his doctor took him off his medication. One of Agbay's first calls after get- ting the good news was to Dowling: "I A recipe for better health By Rachel Coppola don't think I could have done this if she didn't motivate me," he said. A cardiologist's insights Dr. Amanda Vest, medical director of the Cardiac Transplantation Program at Tufts Medical Center, says some heart transplants may be pre- vented with lifestyle changes, such as diet, physical activity, stopping smok- ing and moderate weight loss. "High cholesterol and high blood pressure encourage inf lammation inside the coronary arteries that take blood to the heart muscle," said Vest, co-director of the nutrition course at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. "These conditions cause cho- lesterol to deposit in the artery, creat- ing what is known as a plaque, nar- rowing the coronary artery and increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases." More than 102 million adult Americans have high cholesterol, and roughly one-third of those have cho- lesterol levels so high they are at risk for heart disease – the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. A rough- ly equal number have high blood pres- sure, another risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Blue Cross Blue AOHNS AUDIOLOGY www.AOHNS.com (508) 757-0330 100 MLK JR. BLVD. WORCESTER, MA 01609 Professional Otolaryngology Specialty Care in a Kind and Compassionate Manner Welcoming adult and pediatric patients Providing a range of services including: Kindergarten hearing screenings Cochlear Implant evaluations Adult and Pediatric hearing tests Tinnitus Assessment MERRISA E. MURTHA, AU.D., CCC-A JANE EHNSTROM, M.S., CCC-A MICHELLE FLECK, M.A., CCC-A MARLA ALLARD, M.A., CCC-A Shield data shows about 330,000 members have heart disease, with men over 65 showing the most prevalence. "If I could have met patients at high risk for coronary artery disease decades ago and helped set them on the right path... we might have pre- vented the need for a transplant," she said. How the Mediterranean and DASH diets work Large clinical studies have differed in their findings on the effects of spe- cific diets. Many clinicians recom- mend the anti-inf lammatory Mediterranean and DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diets to help roll back artery-hardening processes, improve heart and blood vessel health, and reduce weight, cho- lesterol and blood pressure. Both diets emphasize fruits, vegetables, fish, lean poultry, legumes, nuts, healthy fats and whole grains. Both diets include the following: • Lots of fruits and vegetables • Legumes (such as beans and len- tils), and seeds and tree nuts like wal- nuts, almonds and pistachios • Healthy fats from foods like olive oil, avocados and fish • Whole grain foods • A moderate amount of low-fat or non-fat dairy products such as eggs, yogurt and cheese • Cutting out excess sugar • Cutting down on salt • A healthy dose of exercise While most people will benefit from these diets, Vest advises patients to speak with their doctor or a nutrition- ist about what's best for them. "Even making small changes in food choices, physical activity and stopping smoking can lead to significant improvements in well-being," she said. Taking action Agbay has taken Dowling's advice to heart. He is eating more fish, including tuna fish sandwiches on whole grain bread. Despite being "pretty lazy when it comes to cook- ing," he's added one of Dowling's quick and easy stovetop recipes to his repertoire. The dish calls for ground turkey or chicken, bell peppers, onions, Italian seasoning and canned tomato sauce with no added salt. While Agbay says he "still has the temptation to eat certain things" like pistachio ice cream, he's smarter at choosing what he indulges in now. On top of feeling healthier, Agbay believes he can maintain his healthy behaviors for the long term: "As I get older, I'm facing more health challeng- es, but I feel I've developed better hab- its that can help me. My success gives me confidence moving forward." Rachel Coppola is a writer for Coverage, a news service of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. H

• Cover