Watchful Times for your Heart

"How's the traffic?" That's one of the first questions asked of patients who visit a doctor. Often the doctors are not just making small talk, as being stuck in traffic raises blood pressure and triples heart attack risk. When a person has had a tough commute and their Blood Pressure is elevated, so it is always better to ask to have it checked later on during the visit to the doctor. There are other surprising situations and times when the chance of heart attack rises dramatically. If you or someone you know has a history of heart trouble, here's when to be watchful. Here are six times when to be watchful.

First. First thing in the morning

The risk of heart attack increases 40% in the morning, Harvard researchers estimate.

Why? As you awaken, your body secretes adrenaline and other stress hormones, increasing blood pressure and a demand for oxygen. Your blood is also thicker and harder to pump because you're partially dehydrated. All this taxes the heart.

Protect yourself: Build some time into your wake schedule so you can hit the snooze button and wake up slowly. If you're a morning exerciser, warm up thoroughly so as not to additionally stress the heart. And if you're on a beta-blocker, take it before bed so the medication is at full strength in the am.

Second. On Monday mornings especially

Science shows there's good reason to dread the first day of the work week.

Twenty percent more heart attacks occur on this day, probably because people are stressed and depressed about returning to work.

Protect yourself: Relax on Sunday, but try not to sleep in. Getting up early on Monday after sleeping late Saturday and Sunday can raise blood pressure even more because your body is fatigued and its natural rhythms are out of whack. Try to maintain a regular sleep/wake schedule all week.

Get a Healthier Heart by Making These Simple Changes Every Day

Third. After an indulgent meal

A 5-course, calories-be-damned dinner can have an immediate impact on your heart health.

Studies show high-fat, high-carb meals constrict blood vessels, making blood more prone to clot.

Protect yourself: If you must indulge, keep your portion sizes reasonable. A daily aspirin will also help prevent blood "stickiness."

Fourth. During a bowel movement

It's the last place you'd want to run into heart trouble, but it can happen.

Straining increases pressure in the chest, slowing the return of blood to the heart.

Protect yourself: Eat lots of fiber, stay hydrated, and avoid straining.

Fifth. During unusually vigorous exercise

Having a heart attack while shoveling snow is a classic example of this.

The heart attack occurs because the victim isn't accustomed to that kind of effort and stress hormones skyrocket, causing blood pressure and heart rate to jump.

Protect yourself: Regular exercise protects your heart. But increase your intensity level gradually.

Sixth. At the podium

From the heart's perspective, public speaking can be similar to unaccustomed exercise.

Extreme nervousness raises blood pressure, heart rate, and adrenaline levels, all of which can make the presentation itself a secondary worry.

Protect yourself: To counter these effects, some people take a betablocker before speaking, flying, or doing anything that makes them overly anxious.

Spiritually Speaking

Heart Issues in the Word of God

The Bible tells us to guard or keep our heart diligently. "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23) Clearly it is not just a reference to our natural heart, but more so to our personality (and our immaterial self, psyche, or soul). In fact, throughout Proverbs the "heart" is spoken of in this category. It is the seat of our personality. This is why Solomon said, "As in water face reveals face, So a man's heart reveals the man" (Proverbs 27:19).

It is the heart that concerns the wise man. Yes, wisdom must affect our ears, eyes, feet, hands, and everything about us. But the heart deserves special attention: "Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." That is, above every other responsibility you have -- before your business, before your personal health, before anything -- "guard your heart."

Why is the heart so important? "Because out of it spring the issues of life." It is basic. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (23:7). What you are inwardly is what you are! "Out of the heart," Jesus says, "proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Mat. 15:19). These evil activities do not rise out of a vacuum. They rise from an evil heart.

Likewise, it is important for the apostle Paul, not that you sing to the Lord, but that you "sing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16). The singing is to be a revelation of a heart touched by and responsive to Divine grace.

In this same vein, it is important, David recognized, not merely to do what is right, but that "truth be in the inward parts" (Psalms 51:6). A heart that is honest, right before God, is what delights Him.

Indeed, it is only the "pure in heart" that shall "see God" (Matthew 5:8). God is not after merely external conformity. He wants the heart of the man. And this is part of what makes the New Covenant promises so wonderful -- God will write his law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33). It will not be a mere external rule, written on stone. It will be internalized so as to cause the man to want to follow the Lord.

This is always the focus of the Scriptures -- the inner man. To obtain the Holy Spirit or inner man one must be Born Again of the water (Baptism - as most scholars agree to this interpretation of the Scripture) and [Holy] Spirit (John 3:5; Titus 3:5; Acts 2:38-22:16). In order to be a new creature in Christ, we must all apply his name in our water baptism (by immersion). Read Mark 16:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:3-5; 10:13; and Galatians 3:26-28. So consider this step an important or vital part of your spiritual walk and life. May God grant you peace, wisdom and understanding in all things.