Prevent heart disease

What is heart disease and why should I be concerned?
Heart disease is a name given to a variety of conditions that affect the performance of the heart. Important examples of heart disease include:

angina, in which there is poor blood circulation to the heart,

heart attack, in which there is death of part of the heart muscle, and

Arrhythmia, in which the rate or rhythm of the heart beat, is abnormal.



Your heart is the engine that drives your body. It is a powerful muscle that pumps blood to your entire body, providing the oxygen and nutrients that you need to live.
How important is exercise for a healthy heart?
Exercise is the one of the best – and most enjoyable – ways of lowering your chances of developing heart disease. Regular exercise helps your heart to become stronger, so it can pump more blood around your body with less effort. Indeed, if you exercise on a regular basis, the chance of you developing heart disease is about half that of people who do no exercise at all. Exercise can also help reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure (both of which can lead to heart disease), help you to sleep better and help provide a feeling of well-being.
Should I stop smoking?
Yes. Giving up smoking not only reduces your risk of developing heart disease, but also the risk of many other serious illnesses, like cancer and emphysema. No matter how old you are, it is not too late to stop. As soon as you do, your health will improve immediately. Studies show that, after five years of giving up, the risk of developing heart disease is the same as for someone who has never smoked.
Giving up smoking is not easy and it may take several tries before you succeed.
What about high blood pressure?
High blood pressure increases your chances of developing heart disease, but there are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure, so you may not be aware you have it.
Making changes to your lifestyle is a first important step. Try to:

keep at a healthy weight or lose weight, if necessary,

reduce the amount of salt you eat,

give up smoking,

learn to relax and reduce stress,

cut down on alcohol if necessary,

Exercise (see above).



Why should I cut back on alcohol?
We know that people who drink heavily are more likely to die of heart disease than those who do not. So, if you drink, do so in moderation. You may have seen recent reports that drinking in moderation (with an emphasis on moderation) may offer some protection against heart disease. But, if you never drink or seldom drink, do not change your habits – alcohol should not be taken as a medicine.
What about my eating habits?
Eating well can also help prevent heart disease. No one food can provide all the nutrition you need, so eat a variety of foods every day from the following four food groups:

bread, other cereals and potatoes,

fruits and vegetables,

low-fat milk and dairy foods,

Meat, fish and alternatives such as beans and lentils.



Try to cut down on the amount of salt that you add to your food and avoid processed foods that have a high salt content.