Page 8 February 2 0 1 4 By John Woellner, M.D. February is Heart Health Month. Follow these seven lifestyle guidelines, and you’ll be on the path to a healthier heart: 1. If you use tobacco, stop. Today. It’s a major risk factor for heart disease. Nicotine tightens blood vessels. If you smoke, carbon monoxide reduces oxygen in your blood and damages the blood vessel linings. 2. Control your blood pressure. Have it measured at least every two years at your doctor’s office. The ideal blood pressure reading is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. Take blood pressure medication if your doctor prescribes it. 3. Check your cholesterol. Your LDL level should be below 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If you have other heart disease risk factors, your target LDL may be below 100 mg/dL. If you’ve already had a heart attack or you have diabetes, your target LDL level is below 70 mg/dL. If your levels are too high, follow your doctor’s instructions, which may include taking statin medication. 4. Exercise. It helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Exercise also helps control diabetes and can help lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure — risk factors for heart disease. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program. Shoot for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. 5. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. Lose weight if your waist measures more than 40 inches (for men) or more than 35 inches (for women). Individuals with this body shape are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. 6. Eat right. A heart-healthy diet encompasses fruits, vegetables and whole grains and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eat one or two servings of fish a week. 7. Manage stress. Use techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation to lower stress levels. John Woellner, M.D., treats patients of all ages at Arcadia Family Clinic, 4131 N. 24th St., Suite B-102, Phoenix, 602-955-6632 or JCL. com/practices. Seven ways to improve your heart health By Steven Sarkis At the end of 2013, I wrote an article in the Arcadia News about the need to use alternative means of transportation such as cabs, buses and the Phoenix Metro light rail instead of drinking and driving. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to see that new data recently released from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety stated that in 2013 the total number of DUIs in Arizona dropped for the first time in more than a decade. Over the past decade or so, the number of DUIs annually in Arizona has been on a scary upward trend. For instance, in 2009 there were a total of 14,154 DUI arrests in our state. By 2012, this number had steadily reached its way to a daunting 32,171 DUI arrests, nearly doubling in just a few short years. Last year, the number fell to 29,163 DUI arrests. As much as I’d like to take even a small chunk of credit for the fall in DUIs based on the article I wrote, and to somehow think I’m making even the smallest difference in the world, the applause goes to Arizona drivers. Maybe it’s the avalanche of DUI attorney advertisements on our TVs, computers, billboards, buses and much more, invading our lives with constant reminders about everything DUI. Or maybe it’s the thought of Sheriff Joe’s pink striped underwear and his five- star resort, otherwise known as tent city, haunting people in their dreams. No matter the reason, it seems very simply that drivers are getting smarter about the strict DUI laws in Arizona and taking action by using alternative means transportation after drinking. Hats off to drivers in 2013 for bucking a decade-long trend of DUIs in Arizona and let’s keep this new trend going in the same direction, downward, for the next decade. Steven Sarkis is the Justice of Peace for Arcadia Biltmore Justice Court. DUI numbers down in 2013 Find an Arcadia News rack location near you. Visit arcadiadaily.com click on “Get a Copy” One appointment. Expert doctors. Convenient services. 4350 E. Camelback Rd., Ste F100 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602.955.8700 • FPSAZ.com Because caring for your health has always been our passion, we’ve made the following services conveniently available in our office. • Excellent care for all ages • Same day appointments • On-site clinical laboratory and X-rays • Dermatology and Optometry services • Botox and Obagi skin care now available Celebrating 43 years of family care Mark A. Wyse, M.D. Ira H. Ungar, M.D. Allan Goldman, D.O. David Francyk, D.O. T.E. McCauley, M.D. Kate Montgomery, FNP Heidi Ungar, D.O. Optometrist David Anderson, O.D. Certified Dermatologist Andrew J. Racette, D.O. Charles Levison, M.D. Walk-ins welcome. M-F 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to noon. Open late on Monday and Wednesday until 7 p.m. and Thursday until 8 p.m. Certified in DOT Physicals James Leap, PA-C Physician Assistant