Many countries use the month of February to focus on heart disease. As Valentine’s Day falls in February it is felt that this is a good time to focus on heart disease. There is no doubt that heart disease is a common cause of illness and death in Anguilla.
Heart disease prevention
There are various things individuals can do to prevent heart disease. Many of these involve adopting a healthy lifestyle. The following are things you can do:
Exercise regularly
Several studies have shown that regular exercise can decrease the risk of heart disease.
Physical activity can help you control your weight and reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
There are many activities you can do to be physically active. These include swimming, walking at a brisk pace, running, gardening, playing a sport like cricket or football. The activity could be for twenty to thirty minutes on most days a week. However, even shorter amounts of exercise than these recommendations can offer heart benefits, so if you cannot meet those guidelines, you should not give up. You can even get the same health benefits if you break up your workout time into three 10-minute sessions most days of the week. You do not have to exercise strenuously to achieve benefits, but you can see bigger benefits by increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of your workouts.
Eat a heart-healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help protect your heart. Aim to eat beans, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, and fish as part of a healthy diet.
It is advised that you should avoid excessive salt and limit all forms of sugar and drinks high in sugar. Limiting certain fats you eat is also important. Watch out on the amount of saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans-fat. Try to limit or avoid saturated fat and trans-fat. Aim to keep saturated fat to 5 or 6 percent of your daily calories and try to keep trans-fat out of your diet altogether.
You do not have to cut all fats out of your diet. Healthy fats from plant-based sources — such as avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil – can help your heart by lowering the bad type of cholesterol.
Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diets — with a goal of five to 10 servings a day. Eating many fruits and vegetables not only can help prevent heart disease, but may also help improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Avoiding excessive use of alcohol can also decrease the risk of getting heart disease. If you must drink, and are healthy, then it is recommended you can use up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. One drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces of wine (148 mL), or 1.5 fluid ounces (44mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits.
If you smoke stop smoking
Smoking cigarettes can damage your blood vessels that could lead to narrowing of vessels, and lead to heart disease. Carbon monoxide in cigarettes can lead to an increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. Secondhand smoking is also bad for your heart.
Maintain your ideal weight
Being overweight — especially if you carry excess weight around your waist — increases your risk of heart disease. Excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI) which considers your height and weight in determining whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. BMI numbers 25 and higher are generally associated with higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Waist circumference can also be a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have:
• Men are generally considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm).
• Women are generally overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm).
Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 3 to 5 percent can help decrease your triglycerides and blood sugar (glucose) and reduce your risk of diabetes. Losing even more weight can help lower your blood pressure and blood cholesterol level.
Learn to manage stress
We will always have some stress, but if you have excessive stress and do not know how to manage it can lead to poor health. Some people cope with stress in unhealthy ways — such as overeating, drinking or smoking. Finding alternative ways to manage stress — such as physical activity, relaxation exercises or meditation — can help improve your health.
Get sufficient sleep
Sleep deprivation can be harmful to your health. Individuals who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Getting regular medical checkups
Individuals are encouraged to have regular medical checkups even if you think you are in good health. Preventative medicine has been shown to lead to improved health, and individuals who have regular medical checkups have been shown to live longer. Various tests can be done which can lead to improved heart health. Regular checking of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol are all beneficial for your heart.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG, is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty-five years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
