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It’s estimated around 200 million people are living with coronary heart disease globally, of which, most are men – according to data from the World Health Organization
Overall, life expectancy may decrease by about 8-10% of your expected life if you suffer from heart disease. For example, a person with no heart disease will be expected to die around age 85, but in the presence of a heart attack, the life expectancy will be reduced by 10% or 8.5 years.
So here is how you can mitigate the risks, know what to look out for and how to avoid it.
1) Screening and early detection
Here are the key screening tests for monitoring cardiovascular health:
- Blood pressure is one of the most important screenings because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms so it can’t be detected without being measured. High blood pressure greatly increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. If your blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, be sure to get it checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20. If your blood pressure is higher, your doctor may want to check it more often. High blood pressure can be controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medication.
- Fasting Lipoprotein Profile (cholesterol). You should have a fasting lipoprotein profile taken every four to six years, starting at age 20. This is a blood test that measures total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol. If your doctor determines that you’re at an increased risk for heart disease or stroke you may need to be tested more frequently. After age 40, your doctor will also want to use an equation to calculate your 10-year risk of experiencing cardiovascular disease or stroke.
Like high blood pressure, often cholesterol can be controlled through lifestyle changes and/or medication.
- BMI. Your health care professional may ask for your waist circumference or use your body weight to calculate your body mass index (BMI) during your routine visit. These measurements may tell you and your physician whether you’re at a healthy body weight and composition.
- Blood Glucose. High blood glucose or “blood sugar” levels put you at greater risk of developing insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Untreated diabetes can lead to many serious medical problems including heart disease and stroke. You can request a blood glucose test. Your doctor may also measure glycated hemoglobin A1c levels (A1c %) in your blood to screen for type 2 diabetes. An A1c level of 6.5% or higher is used to define diabetes.
2) How to avoid heart disease
The saying:
eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure
seems to give us the answer to many of life problems and it certainly addresses how to avoid heart disease!
To live well and live longer, genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to an individual’s risk of coronary artery disease according to cardiologists but lifestyle plays a crucial role.
Speaking at the 51st CardioCon conference, top cardiologist Dr. Naeem Tahirkheli stated that a lot of the increased genetic risk could be offset by a healthy lifestyle.
“Focusing on general well-being while taking into account the social context and social determinants of health will pay huge dividends for a number of non-communicable diseases (NCDs),”
said Dr. Tahirkheli.
Hypertension, smoking and diabetes are the leading causes of heart disease and ideal cardiovascular health could mitigate 50 percent of the increased risk associated with non-ideal genetic makeup.
In four different studies of 55,685 participants, genetic and lifestyle factors were independently associated with susceptibility to coronary artery disease. Among participants with high genetic risk, a favorable lifestyle was associated with an almost 50% lower relative risk of coronary artery disease than an unfavorable lifestyle.
This is amazing news for all of us, because it means you are in control and you can reduce your risk of heart disease by taking the following steps:
Step 1: Eat a healthy, balanced diet
A low-sugar, high-fibre diet is recommended, which should include plenty of fresh and vegetables (5 portions a day) and some occasional fruit, preferably of the lower sugar variety such as berries. Whole grains could be beneficial but it doesn’t suit everybody. Best advice is to test: eat whole grains for a couple of months and then don’t eat grains for couple months and record how you feel (energy levels, reactions, etc)
It is better if you limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day as too much salt will increase your blood pressure. 6g of salt is about 1 teaspoonful.
You should avoid processed foods, because these will increase the levels of “bad cholesterol” in your blood.
A balanced diet includes good fats, which have been shown to increase levels of good cholesterol and help reduce any blockage in your arteries.
Foods high in good fat include:
- oily fish
- avocados
- coconut oil
- nuts and seeds
- olive oil
- olives
- coconut
Step 2: Be physically active
Combining a healthy diet with regular exercise is the best way of maintaining a healthy weight. Having a healthy weight reduces your chances of developing high blood pressure.
Regular exercise will make your heart and blood circulatory system more efficient, lower your cholesterol level, and also keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
Exercising regularly reduces your risk of having a heart attack. The heart is a muscle and, like any other muscle, benefits from exercise. A strong heart can pump more blood around your body with less effort.
Any aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming and dancing, makes your heart work harder and keeps it healthy. Weight lifting and High Intense Interval Training (HIIT) are also great to keep you in top shape.
Step 3: Give up smoking
If you smoke, giving up will reduce your risk of developing CHD.
Smoking is a major risk factor for developing atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries). It also causes the majority of cases of coronary thrombosis in people under the age of 50.
Research has shown you’re up to 3 times more likely to successfully give up smoking if you use support together and stop-smoking medicines, such as patches, vape or gum.
Some people have reported hypnosis, meditation and other mind related tools work working well for them. It is worth a try.
Step 4: Reduce your alcohol consumption
If you drink, do not exceed the maximum recommended limits.
- men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
- spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week
Always avoid binge drinking, as this increases the risk of a heart attack.
Step 5: Keep your blood pressure under control
You can keep your blood pressure under control by eating a healthy diet low in saturated fat, exercising regularly and, if needed, taking medicine to lower your blood pressure.
Your target blood pressure should be below 140/90mmHg. If you have high blood pressure, ask a GP to check your blood pressure regularly.
Step 6: Keep diabetes under control to avoid heart disease
You have a greater chance of developing CHD if you have diabetes. Being physically active and controlling your weight and blood pressure will help manage your blood sugar level.
If you have diabetes, your target blood pressure level should be below 130/80mmHg.
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