Taking Care of your Heart on a Budget

Taking care of your heart health doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition — your heart will benefit whether you exercise at home or at a gym and whether you eat inexpensive canned fish or costly wild salmon. Here are some ways to save on essentials, from heart medications to your next heart test.
Go for Generic Heart Medication
While not every brand-name heart medication has a generic equivalent, there are alternatives your doctor can prescribe. “A generic may not be ideal, but you can go to a discount pharmacy and get a three month supply for $12,” says board-certified cardiologist Robert M. Jarrett, MD, associate clinical professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven and in private practice in Brookfield, Conn.
Walmart, Target, Costco, and many chain pharmacies may offer generic pricing on heart medications and other drugs. Also, check the Web site of any brand name prescription you are considering taking; recent special offers from Lipitor and Crestor have included free one-month trials.
Get a Health Fair Heart Test
Many towns and municipalities offer health fairs that might be sponsored by hospitals or insurance companies. Health fairs are frequently held in malls, community centers, hospitals, and YMCAs. Take advantage of the inexpensive or free test screenings and information made available at these local events. Call your community center, department of health, and local hospitals to find out whether there are health fairs near you.
Services may include health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, hearing, vision, and skin cancer, as well as vaccinations. You may also have the chance to meet with and ask questions of experts in various fields, including practitioners like nutritionists, exercise specialists, and representatives from hospitals and community health organizations in your area.
Local Pharmacies
Vaccinations and some screenings, including those related to heart health, may be available at your local pharmacy or supermarket. Some types of medical attention and screenings are also available at pharmacy-based health clinics, like the Minute Clinics at CVS stores and the Take Care Clinics at Walgreens. Services may be less expensive than if you were to go to a traditional doctor’s office appointment without insurance; locations and prices are listed on their Web sites. An important caveat is that you must follow up with a medical practitioner if the results from any of these screenings point to a problem, says Dr. Jarrett.
Exercise Your Initiative
“You don’t have to join a gym or have a piece of equipment in your house to exercise,” says nutritionist Barbara Schmidt, MS, RD, lifestyle specialist at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut whose practice includes patients in cardiac rehab. “Walk as far as you can for 15 minutes, then turn around and come back. See how far you get in 30 minutes. In inclement weather, go to the mall or a store like Home Depot and walk the aisles.”
Though not free, low-cost exercise classes are offered at many hospitals and may include choices like yoga and tai chi. And don’t forget the YMCA or YWCA and programs at your town’s community centers. Local park and recreation departments often have classes for adults and kids at far lower costs than health clubs.
Rediscover Home Cooking
A heart healthy diet doesn’t have to break your budget. “Buy foods on sale — read your supermarket’s sale flyer, make a shopping list, and plan your menu around what’s on special,” advises Schmidt, who says the real problem is that people aren’t cooking enough. “Cooking at home is the cheap way — fast food is not cheap. You can end up spending $15 to $20 at McDonald’s when you could buy a roasting chicken for $3.” Homemade food is not only more economical and heart healthy, it usually tastes better.
There’s also a big difference between the low-nutrition value of a greasy fast food meal and the heart health benefits of a hearty, homemade chicken soup or one made with fiber-rich lentils, onions, garlic, and carrots — two of Schmidt’s favorite one-pot dishes. She likes to finish each off with a can of crushed tomatoes for flavor, color, and the antioxidant lycopene.
If fresh produce is too expensive, buy large bags of frozen veggies and berries. And as for fish, Schmidt says you don’t always have to go for the expensive types. When she’s counseling patients, she reminds them that the cheapest option, sardines, is the best choice when it comes to getting heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Schmidt suggests serving them on whole-wheat toast.