YOU ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART -TIPS TO AVOID HEART DISEASES

December 27, 2017 | Bill vastis


Share

As opposed to the common myth that heart diseases is a ravage that haunts only people in their mid-50s (or older), or those with a love of fried foods, studies claim that people of all ages should be worried about heart-related illnesses. I realized this when I almost lost my business partner Ravi, when he was training at the gym.  This is because, the build-up to heart diseases, more often than not, starts at a rather early age. According to medical experts, heart disease is function of multiple risk factors[i], with the most important being blood cholesterol and blood pressure[ii]. Below are some important tips on how you can manage these factors and reduce the risk of heart diseases.

 

What is Coronary Heart Disease

 

Coronary heart disease (CHD) refers to the condition where blood supply to the heart gets reduced or blocked. When cholesterol in the form of a plaque or wax like substance called atheroma gets deposited on the inner walls of coronary arteries (arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles), the passage of coronary arteries narrows down, and as a result, the amount of blood flow to the heart is reduced. This partial blockage of arteries can lead to chest pain and discomfort, a condition called angina. However, when a piece of atheroma ruptures from the arterial wall and chokes the artery in a way that blood supply to the heart is completely blocked, it leads to a heart attack,[iii] further leading to heart failure.

Risk Factors Contributing To Heart Diseases

 

Cholesterol Intake

Excess consumption of fats is doubly detrimental, as it can make you obese and increases the amount of cholesterol in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of CHD. Whilst some amount of fat is needed by the body to perform important functions, and not all cholesterol is bad for the heart, you should focus on cutting down the excesses. There are two types of cholesterol in the body: low density lipoprotein (LDL) also commonly known as ‘bad cholesterol’ is one that gets deposited in the arteries; high density lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good cholesterol’ helps to remove cholesterol from the blood[iv]. Following a Mediterranean diet which replaces LDL rich saturated fats (from beef, lamb, pork, lard and cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products[v] and trans fats (present in biscuits, crisps and cakes) by HDL rich monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in your diet[vi] can keep bad cholesterol levels from rising in the first place. Oils such as olive, rapeseed and canola; and whole grains, nuts, pulses, oats, fruit and vegetables, dark chocolate and foods rich in Omega 3 such as walnuts, fish (salmon and sardine)[vii] increase the good cholesterol without increasing the bad cholesterol in blood.

So, whilst it is not suggested that you eliminate fats completely from your diet, the idea is to consume the right kind of fats and in a controlled quantity.

 

Smoking

Studies show that people who smoke are exposed to six times more risk of suffering a heart attack as compared to non-smokers[viii]. Some of the ways in which smoking increases the risk of CHD is: smoke from the tobacco increases the amount of carbon mono-oxide, while reducing the oxygen concentration in the blood. As a result, heart has to pump more in order to supply the required amount of oxygen to various body parts. This means a greater load on the heart. Also, nicotine leads to production of epinephrine,[ix] also commonly known as adrenaline, in the body. It is a stress hormone, which makes our heart beat faster, and increases blood pressure, which again means greater load on the heart. Smoking can also increase the risk of blood clotting, thus, increasing the risk of blockage in arteries leading to heart diseases. According to British Heart Foundation (BHF), “Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your heart health”

 

Physical Inactivity and Stress

Studies indicate that any form of physical exercise such as aerobics, walking, jogging, cycling, skipping, swimming for about 20 to 30 minutes for five days a week can help to increase the amount of good cholesterol in the blood[x]. Exercise also helps to eliminate stress, which is yet another significant factor leading to heart diseases[xi]. Exercise helps to reduce the level of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and facilitates release of chemical called endorphins in the brain which are our natural pain killers and help to elevate our mood[xii]. Getting off the train or bus one stop earlier, taking stairs instead of the elevator or cycling to work can count towards your daily exercise regime. Meditation and breathing exercises can also beat stress by helping you to manage emotions and your responses to stressful situations.

 

High Blood Pressure / Hypertension

It is a condition wherein the blood exerts pressure and pushes against the arterial walls when the heart pumps blood, causing strain on the arteries and heart. High blood pressure may not always have recognizable symptoms but it silently causes damage to the heart. Connection between high blood pressure, and risk of heart diseases is well established by scientific research[xiii]. According to William Harvey Research Foundation, UK, high blood pressure is responsible for 50% of all deaths from heart diseases or stroke. Some of the things that increase blood pressure are salt (sodium)[xiv], alcohol (more than the low-risk guidelines)[xv], and pre-existing diabetes. It is recommended that you restrict salt-intake to no more than 5-6g (or 0.02oz) equivalent to one teaspoon per day to maintain normal blood pressure levels[xvi], and restrict alcohol consumption within recommended limits.

 

Additional Factors

Although, you can directly control the risk factor mentioned above, there are some additional factors which may also have implications for your heart health such as family history[xvii], age[xviii] and sex[xix]. Whilst you may not have direct control over them, you can still minimize their impact if you practice a healthy lifestyle that helps you manage your blood pressure and keep your blood cholesterol levels low.

 

For a happy heart, make well-informed dietary choices, practice moderation in consumption, and exercise self-restraint to adhere to healthy lifestyle options. In the long term, this can help you to avoid or delay the occurrence of heart diseases. Besides, get regular health check-ups to monitor your blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels in order to risk assess for any heart diseases. Should it manifest, this will help with an early detection and a timely treatment of CHD.

 

[i] Allina Health. "Most major heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol, research finds: New statin guidelines are more likely to treat these people before their heart attacks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 April 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170412105837.htm>.

[ii] NHS Choices- Coronary Heart Disease - Prevention, online available at : http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Prevention.aspx

[iii] National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Heart), “What are Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors”, US Department of Health and Human Services, available online at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hd

[iv] “High Density Lipoprotein”, Heart UK, The Cholestrol Charity, available online at : https://heartuk.org.uk/files/uploads/huk_fs_mfsR_HDL_02.pdf; E: ask@heartuk.org.uk · W: www.heartuk.org.uk

[v] American Heart Association, “Saturated Fat”, Last reviewed 2015, available online at : https://healthyforgood.heart.org/Eat-smart/Articles/Saturated-Fats

[vi] High Density Lipoprotein”, Heart UK, The Cholestrol Charity, available online at : https://heartuk.org.uk/files/uploads/huk_fs_mfsR_HDL_02.pdf; E: ask@heartuk.org.uk · W: www.heartuk.org.uk

[vii] Ibid

[viii] National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Heart), “Your Guide To Physical Activity and Your Heart”, US Department of Health and Human Services, NIH Publication No. 06-571, June 2006, available online at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/heart/obesity-guide-physical-active-html#tc3

[ix] British Heart Foundation, Online Article “Smoking”, available at https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/risk-factors/smoking; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Heart), “How Does Smoking Affect the Heart and Blood Vessels?”, US Department of Health and Human Services, available online at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/smo

[x] National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Heart), “Your Guide To Physical Activity and Your Heart”, US Department of Health and Human Services, NIH Publication No. 06-571, June 2006, available online at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/heart/obesity-guide-physical-active-html#tc3

[xi] D. C. Greenwood, K. R. Muir, C. J. Packham and R. J. Madeley, “Coronary heart disease: a review of the role

of psychosocial stress and social support”, Journal of Public Health Medicine, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 221-231.

[xii] Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publications, “Exercising to Relax”, published February 2011, available online at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax

[xiii] Fiebach NH1, Hebert PR, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Rosner B, Speizer FE, Hennekens CH.,” A prospective study of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in women”, See comment in PubMed Commons belowAm J Epidemiol. 1989 Oct;130(4):646-54.

[xiv] Michael H. Alderman, “Salth, Blood Pressure and Human Health”, AAHA Journal November 2000, Volume 36, Issue 5 (Hypertention), Originally published November 1, 2000; available online at http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/36/5/890

[xv] Puddey IB1, Beilin LJ, “ Alcohol is bad for blood pressure”, Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006 Sep;33(9):847-52; Husain, Kazim, Rais A Ansari, and Leon Ferder. “Alcohol-Induced Hypertension: Mechanism and Prevention.” World Journal of Cardiology 6.5 (2014): 245–252. PMC. Web. 7 Aug. 2017.

[xvi] Ha, Sung Kyu. “Dietary Salt Intake and Hypertension.” Electrolytes & Blood Pressure : E & BP 12.1 (2014): 7–18. PMC. Web. 7 Aug. 2017’ NHS Choices, UK, ”Coronary Heart Disease- Prevention”, available online at http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/Pages/Prevention.aspx

[xvii] J. Simon, H. Rosolova, “Family History: An Independent Risk Factors for coronary heart diseases, Its Time to Be Practical” European Heart Journal (2002) 23, 1637–1638 doi:10.1053/euhj.2002.3295; Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, “Heart Disease: Al in the Family History, available online at https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/heart-disease-all-in-the-family-history;

[xviii] Pekka Jousilahti, Erkki Vartiainen, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Pekka Puska, “Sex, Age, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Coronary Heart Disease”, Circulation. 1999;99:1165-1172, available online at : http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/99/9/1165

[xix] Jeanine E Roeters van Lennep, H.Tineke Westerveld, D.Willem Erkelens, Ernst E van der Wall; Risk factors for coronary heart disease: implications of gender, Cardiovascular Research, Volume 53, Issue 3, 15 February 2002, Pages 538–549, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-6363(01)00388-1