Eres what you comes

Latino lifestyles can lead to heart problems

A white-flour tortilla to scoop up the breakfast chorizo and eggs; larded refried beans and buttery rice with dinner; a celebratory pork tamale on special occasions.
They all have taken their toll by the time Dr. Julio A. Rodriguez-Lopez, 51, is called into the picture.
The Puerto Rico native is the medical director of the Wound Healing Center and director of peripheral vascular services at the Arizona Heart Institute. His primary job remains vascular surgery – unblocking arteries and repairing damaged pathways.
Sometimes the blockage is hereditary, even the result of environmental influences. Often, however, the causes stem from poor eating, exercise and lifestyle habits – many, sadly, linked to Latino cultural norms.
Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Mexican Americans are more likely to be overweight or obese, and to have diabetes. Compared with non-Hispanic white and black women, Hispanic women are less likely to engage in physical activity, according to the American Heart Association.
“Food, those are the things we love. However, we need to moderate that. The three whites – sugar, salt and flour – we need to be aware that these can be your worst enemy,” Dr. Rodriguez-Lopez says.
Getting regular physicals and health tests is the simplest yet commonly ignored step in detecting and preventing serious cardiovascular disease. Diabetes remains on the rise among Hispanics, with too many of us not getting regular exercise or making trips to the doctor.
“Many Latinos, it may be for social or economic reasons, don’t visit the doctor early in their lives. I have patients in their 50’s and 60’s who have had no medication for years for their high blood pressure. ... Some don’t have insurance, some don’t want to go to a physician. They don’t want to know they have a condition,” Dr. Rodriguez-Lopez says.
When physical symptoms become a burden, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or easy fatigue with minimal effort, patients may finally force themselves to come in. But, Dr. Rodriguez-Lopez says, by that time many other important symptoms have been missed, and preventable damage may have occurred.
Kim Mostoller, exercise physiologist and cardiac rehabilitation manager for the Arizona Heart Institute, runs several programs designed to assist people before and after they have been diagnosed with a heart condition. Much of her job focuses on lifestyle changes to lower the risks. Many people don’t think about going to a cardiac rehab clinic, and many Latinos remain in the dark about preventive medicine, and unsure about a drastic lifestyle change.
She reassures Latino patients that they can continue to enjoy their favorite foods that are part of their culture, but without a lot of the fat and artery clogging cholesterol.
“There are whole-wheat tortillas, part-skim milk cheese, low fat, low sodium beans. There are options out there for the Latino community to continue the same traditions in food and their customs without sacrificing their health,” she says.
Mostoller says fear of going to the doctor and being proactive can be combated with family support, particularly for the elders. If everyone follows the routine, it won’t feel as unusual.
“When you’re talking about an older generation, breaking down barriers is tough to do,” she says. “Family members don’t like feeling they are the only ones going. They need to get support from their family as well from their physician.”