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Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) device support 

Heart health

Woman exercising by running on a path in the outdoors.

Better heart health for CRT patients

Living with heart disease is about more than just having a CRT-D or CRT-P and taking medication. Making some simple lifestyle changes can help you take charge of your heart health and live a more active life.

Maintain a healthy weight

One way to help reduce your risk of heart disease is to maintain a healthy weight. You can calculate your body mass index (BMI) to find out if you're at a healthy weight for you. 

Calculate your BMI

You can also measure your waist circumference to help determine if you’re at a healthy weight. You may be overweight if you're a woman whose waistline is more than 35 inches or a man whose waistline is more than 40 inches.

How to Measure Your Waist

  • Stand and wrap a tape measure around your stomach, midway between your hip bones and the bottom of your ribs
  • Keep the tape snug around your waist, without compressing your skin
  • Take the measurement after breathing out normally

While your BMI and waist circumference can be helpful tools to determine if you may be overweight, only a trained health care professional can assess your individual health status and risks. So be sure to ask your doctor what a healthy weight is for you. 

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Even small changes to your diet can make a big difference in your heart health. You can start with these simple steps, but be sure to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet so you can develop a plan that’s best for you.

  • Eat more foods that contain whole grains
  • Add a variety of fruits and vegetables
  • Cut down on sugar and salt (sodium)
  • Limit your consumption of high-fat foods, such as red meat, cheese, and baked goods
  • Reduce your consumption of bad fats, which can increase the amount of harmful LDL (bad) cholesterol in your bloodstream and reduce the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Bad fats include saturated and trans fats, and are more likely to be solid at room temperature, such as butter and solid shortening
  • Substitute bad fats for good ones that don’t raise your LDL cholesterol levels and have health benefits when eaten in moderation. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are more likely to be liquid at room temperature, such as sunflower, soybean, corn and olive oils

Be more active

Even if you can’t fit in regular workouts, try making activity a part of your daily life. By starting small, you’ll gradually build up your activity level, which may help whittle your waistline and enhance your overall heart health.

Tips for adding more activity to your day

  • Take frequent breaks throughout the day to stretch and walk
  • Do your regular household chores at a brisker pace
  • Park farther away from the door when running errands or get off the bus at an earlier stop to add more steps to your day
  • Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
  • Plan more active entertainment; for example, go bowling or bike riding instead of seeing a movie
  • Go for a brisk walk with friends or family after dinner

Be sure to talk to your doctor before you start or resume any kind of exercise program.

Kick your smoking habit

Smoking damages the heart and blood vessels and is estimated to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by two to four times.1 It also decreases HDL (good) cholesterol, increases the tendency for blood to clot and reduces your ability to exercise. The good news is that the damage is repaired quickly for most smokers who quit. And even long-time smokers who stop can see rapid improvements to their health.  

Reduce stress

Experiencing stress from time to time is a normal part of life. However, unmanaged stress can affect your overall health and have a negative impact on your heart by2:

  • Increasing your heart rate
  • Raising your blood pressure
  • Causing irregular heart rhythms
  • Raising your cholesterol levels
  • Damaging your arteries
  • Causing the development and progression of coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis)
  • Weakening your immune system

In addition, many people turn to unhealthy habits to cope with stress, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and overeating. All of which may put you at higher risk for stroke and heart disease.

Simple ways to reduce stress

  • Laugh a little. Research shows that laughter may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase muscle relaxation and boost the immune system.3 So, make it a point to add laughter to your day—whether that means meeting your humorous friend for lunch, watching silly animal videos on the internet, or doing anything else that tickles your funny bone
  • Take time to relax. From meditation to deep breathing exercises, there are a number of techniques to help relax your mind during times of stress. Find the technique that works best for you and stick with it.
  • Keep a stress diary. Taking note of the things that cause you stress can help you identify stressors—and find ways to avoid them in the future

SOURCES

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/. Accessed October 20, 2016.
  2. Cleveland Clinic. Stress and Heart Disease. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/prevention/emotional-health/stress-relaxation/stress-management-your-heart. Accessed October 20, 2016.
  3. Bennett MP, Zeller JM, Rosenberg L, McCann J. The effect of stress of mirthful laughter modifies natural killer cell activity. Altern Ther Health Med. 2003 Mar-Apr;9(2):38-45.

We’re here to help

Our patient services team is happy to help answer all of your questions about living with your device.

(866) 484-3268

Hours: M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Central

Email us

Important Safety Information

Cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers (CRT-P) and defibrillators (CRT-D) are designed to treat heart failure patients who may or may not have symptoms or who may have symptoms despite the best available drug therapy. They are also designed to help your heart pump more effectively and meet your body’s need for blood flow.  These devices are sensitive to strong electromagnetic interference (EMI) and can be affected by certain sources of electric or magnetic fields. With all medical procedures there are risks associated.  In regard to an implanted ICD, the risks include but are not limited to inappropriate shock, lead moves out of place, loss of stimulation capability, allergic reaction, fluid underneath the skin, and infection.  In rare cases device failure or death can occur.  Be sure to talk with your doctor so that you thoroughly understand all of the risks and benefits associated with the implantation of this system.  To obtain a copy of the device Patient Handbook for more detailed device safety information, go to www.bostonscientific.com, or you can request a copy by calling 1-866-484-3268 or writing to Boston Scientific, 4100 Hamline Ave. N., St. Paul, MN  55112. 

Device Quality and Reliability 

It is Boston Scientific’s intent to provide implantable devices of high quality and reliability. However, these devices may exhibit malfunctions that may result in lost or compromised ability to deliver therapy. Refer to Boston Scientific’s CRM product performance report on www.bostonscientific.com for more information about device performance, including the types and rates of malfunctions that these devices have experienced historically. While historical data may not be predictive of future device performance, such data can provide important context for understanding the overall reliability of these types of products. Also, it is important that you talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with the implantation of a device.

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