Respiratory Therapists Explain Why Lung Health is Important in Heart Month

For Immediate Release

IRVING , TX (February 3, 2006) – February is Heart Month, so why would anyone be thinking about the lungs right now?

According to respiratory therapists from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), you really can't talk about one without discussing the other. 

“Although the heart and lungs are two separate organs, they are intimately connected through a series of major blood vessels,” explains Trish Blakely, RRT, from Palmetto Respiratory, Inc., in Columbia, SC. “The lungs transport oxygen to the heart, and the heart pumps the oxygen, carried in the blood, to all the organs and tissues of the body.”

With this intimate connection, it's no wonder what happens to one organ affects the other, continues Blakely, and why good heart health often begins with good lung health. “When the lungs are not functioning properly, either due to acute or chronic disease, the ability of the lungs to bring in adequate oxygen is affected,” says the registered respiratory therapist. That leads the heart to pump harder and faster in an effort to overcome the decrease in oxygen, which in turn causes pressures in the heart to increase, impacting blood pressure, pulse rate, and the heart's electrical rhythm.

When the heart is having trouble, the lungs feel the effects as well, most commonly through a back up in the blood system that results in fluid build up in the lungs. “This can lead to congestive heart failure or other types of heart disease that affect the ability of the heart chambers to effectively pump blood through the body,” says Blakely. 

Since the lungs are so closely linked with the heart, Blakely says early detection of lung disease can help uncover early heart problems. Pulmonary function tests, chest x-rays, and exercise tolerance studies can identify lung problems early on and are recommended for anyone with a family history of heart or lung disease and for those with certain risk factors, like smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Is there anything people can do to keep their hearts and lungs in the best working order? Not smoking and eating a healthy, low fat diet are essential, says Blakely, and so is regular exercise. “This can include walking or more formal exercise programs – but always check with your doctor before starting any strenuous types of exercise.” 

Even people who already have heart and/or lung problems need to get up and get moving, continues the therapist. “If you already have heart/lung disease, you can enroll in a pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation program. These programs are designed to improve the function and strength of the heart and lungs and improve exercise tolerance and quality of life.”

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are specially trained and licensed respiratory health care professionals assisting physicians in diagnosis, treatment, and management of respiratory diseases. RTs provide care in hospitals, outpatient centers, physicians' offices, skilled nursing facilities, and patients' homes. 

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is a not-for-profit, professional organization, consisting of 39,000 respiratory therapists, physicians, and other health care professionals. AARC is dedicated to assisting persons with respiratory diseases receive safe and effective respiratory care.

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C ontact: Beth Binkley
Binkley@aarc.org
American Association For Respiratory Care
9425 N MacArthur Blvd, Suite 100 , Irving , TX 75063
972-406-4657, 927-243-2272
 

Healthy Hearts Depend on Healthy Lungs 

Good heart health and good lung health go hand-in-hand, report respiratory therapists from the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). Here are a few tips to keep both vital systems working properly:

• Don't smoke: smoking increases the risk for both heart and lung disease.
• Eat a healthy, low fat diet: healthy diets full of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables guard against high cholesterol, diabetes, and other diseases that impact the cardiopulmonary system.
• Exercise: regular exercise is good for everyone's heart and lungs – even people who already have heart and/or lung disease. Be sure to check with your doctor before embarking on an exercise program, and if you have cardiopulmonary problems, ask to be referred to a pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation program.
• Get regular check-ups: see your doctor once a year, and if you have risk factors for heart or lung disease, ask about pulmonary function and other tests that could identify problems before they get out of hand.

For more information about the interaction between heart and lung health, visit the AARC's consumer web site, www.yourlunghealth.org .