Cardiovascular Health for Different Age Groups
The biggest killers out there, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer, are responsible for a huge chunk of deaths worldwide. The crazy thing is, heart attacks and strokes are often preventable if you’re smart about catching them early. These cardiovascular events, along with blood clotting issues, can usually be spotted ahead of time if you’ve got the right family history and if you’re proactive about your health.
If heart attacks run in your family, especially if your dad or other male relatives had one before 60 or 65, you’ve got no excuse not to take this seriously. By the time you hit your mid-40s, you should be getting a CT angiogram to see what’s really going on with your heart. On top of that, getting a calcium score and a cardiac echo are non-negotiable. These tests can give you a heads-up about what’s brewing under the surface before it’s too late.
The scary part is how many people are walking around with conditions they don’t even know they have; silent heart attacks happen more often than you think. A recent guest on Power Athlete Radio passed away suddenly. He had no clue he had suffered a heart attack until his autopsy revealed necrotic tissue in his heart. That means he had damage that never got picked up. The heart was working overtime to compensate, and eventually, it gave out. If he had known maybe things would’ve played out differently.
So, if heart disease is in your genes, don’t sit around and wait for something to happen. Get ahead of it. These tests, CT angiograms, calcium scores, cardiac echoes, aren’t just for peace of mind. They could be the difference between catching an issue early and having to deal with it after it’s already too late. It’s about being smart and not leaving things to chance.
Bottom line: if you’re at risk, do something about it. Take control of your health, stay on top of it, and give yourself the best shot at avoiding the fate too many people in your family might’ve already faced.
John Welbourn is Founder/CEO of Power Athlete Inc and former NFL player. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and started for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his NFL career, John started over 100 games regular season games with 10 play-off appearances. He was a four-year letterman while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated from the college of letters and sciences with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. And did his Masters work at the UC Berkeley School of Education in 1999. Since retiring from the NFL, John has worked extensively with the NFL, NHL, MLB, Olympic athletes, the US Army and Naval Special Warfare. He works as a consultant and advisor for several companies focused on improving human performance through training, nutrition and fitness-based technologies. John provides daily coaching and mentorship to over 5000 athletes around the world through his Power Athlete Coaches Network and training program delivery platform. Since in 2013, John has hosted a weekly podcast, Power Athlete Radio; a podcast dedicated to improving performance and connecting with some of the smartest people on the planet. With more than 700 episodes Power Athlete Radio has proven to be on the top podcasts in the strength and conditioning realm. John travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition for Power Athlete and as a keynote speaker. John is a married father of three and resides in Austin, Texas. You can catch up with him at his personal blog, “Talk To Me Johnnie”, at Power Athlete or on social media @johnwelbourn.