There’s lots you can do to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CVD) diseases other than taking medications. Here are some tips outlined for you.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood which too much of can increase your risk of developing CVD. It can cause atheroma to build up inside artery walls, preventing enough blood reaching the heart or other parts of the body. If a piece of atheroma breaks off, a blood clot can form, blocking blood supply to the heart thus causing a heart attack or to the brain a stroke.
How would I know I have high cholesterol?
You may not be able to tell that you have high cholesterol. That’s why it’s a really good idea to have regular blood tests especially if you are over 40 or have been already diagnosed with CVD.
How can I reduce my cholesterol?
You can help to reduce your cholesterol by:
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of CVD and conditions including type 2 diabetes. Your body mass index (BMI) is a way to tell if you’re overweight or obese. Typically, a BMI of 25 or above means you may be overweight and a BMI of 30 or above is classified as obese.
Having too much weight around your middle raises risk of CVD, high blood pressure,
diabetes and stroke.
What can I do to reduce the risk?
If you are overweight or have a waist size that puts you at risk, losing weight will help. Make small, long-term changes, such as reducing portion sizes and being more physically active.
Everyone should aim for a well balanced diet. Crash diets may not provide the balance of nutrients you need.
The best way to understand it is to think of foods in food groups.
Try to eat:
Choose options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar whenever you can.
Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high. It puts you at much higher risk of CVD, partly because high glucose levels can lead to blood vessel damage.
What can I do about my diabetes?
If you have diabetes, it’s very important to control your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating a healthy diet, being active and controlling your weight all help manage these things and reduce your risk of developing CVD.
Type 2 diabetes is linked to the amount of fat in your body, so if you lose enough weight, you may stop experiencing symptoms, although they can return, especially if you regain weight.
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against your artery walls as it circulates around the body. High blood pressure (hypertension) means your blood pressure is equal to or higher than the recommended level. Your risk increases as you get older.
How would I know I have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is not usually something you can notice, but it can damage the arteries, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Over time, if it is not treated, the heart may become abnormally large and its pumping action will be less effective, which could lead to heart failure.
If you’ve been diagnosed with CVD, then you should have your blood pressure checked regularly.
How can I reduce my blood pressure?
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure it’s important to
If you are a smoker, giving up is the single biggest thing you can do to help your heart. Smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heart attack compared with those who have never smoked.
Chemicals in cigarette smoke damage arteries, force your heart to work harder and make blood more likely to clot (raising heart attack or stroke risk).
Stress may affect all the above factors, therefore it is important to find ways of de-stressing.
Did you know that laughter has been found to lower levels of stress hormones thus reducing blood pressure and inflammation of the arteries?
It’s never too late to start looking after yourself.
“ Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in heartbeats.”
