" There is no ' heart health ' with the electrical part of the heart ," he said . " We really don ' t have any ability to alter that very much . The coronary part is where we spend our emphasis on the ( heart healthy lifestyle )."
McKinney advised , " For the fifth year in a row , the Mediterranean diet has be labeled the best heart healthy diet ," for those who are looking for the best diet to work with .
He also said heart health is connected to exercise . " That is not vigorous exercise . It ' s basically walking your dog 30 minutes a day , five days a week , minimum . The more you do , the better ," he said .
There are also five main risk factors when it comes to heart problems , only four of which a patient can control : Not smoking , controlling high blood pressure , taking care of cholesterol , and managing or preventing diabetes .
The fifth is genetics . And as McKinney explained , " You can ' t do anything about your parents ."
There are different symptoms and different diseases connected to each of the three different sides that build the heart , he said .
" Chest pain is the most common symptom of coronary disease ," he said , with heart attacks and strokes being the most likely outcome .
" Dizziness or passing out is the most common symptom of electrical dysfunction ," he said . That also includes fatigue or shortness of breath .
On the structural side , McKinney said that shortness of breath with activity might indicate that . One of the outcomes there is heart failure .
He also noted that while chest pain could be an indication of heart problems , not all chest pain is .
" Most of what we deal with is chest pain , and most chest pain is not heart related , but because the heart is the most serious , it tends to be the first thing we look into ," he said .
Other internal problems , such as gastronomical issues like acid reflux or gall bladder problems can also present themselves as chest pain , due to the way the nerves in the abdominal area are mapped .
McKinney said that if someone is having chest pain they are unsure about , they should go to the emergency room .
Even if it isn ' t heart related , he said , it never hurts to be on the safe side .
And if it is heart related , " Minutes are muscle ," he said . " If you are having a heart attack , the quicker we can get it over with , the less damage occurs ."
Dr . Michael McKinney shows the size of these pacemaker devices by comparing them to his hand . Photo by Carla Slavey
8 • SEKY - Southeast Kentucky Life february 2025